


Do you remember

by smkkbert



Series: There goes my life [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Stalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-10-09 15:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 93,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17409059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smkkbert/pseuds/smkkbert
Summary: Eight years after Oliver and Felicity became teenage parents, they have everything they could have ever hoped for and more. They have a good life in a nice house. Their marriage is happy, and a second baby is on its way. The calm they have settled in is interrupted abruptly when a stalker starts terrorizing Felicity.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is different than any other I have written. There are a lot of ups and downs. It’s not as even in pacing as you might be used to from my stories. Chapters will hopefully be posted every Sunday. Enjoy the ride!

The moment she stepped through the door and saw the sign with the smiling cloud of smoke that was carrying a crown, the pleasant feeling of being home spread in Felicity’s chest.

It was Oliver, who saw her first. A warm expression showed in his eyes, and it was mirrored in the smile that formed on his lips. Felicity felt her stomach starting to tingle in the way it always did when Oliver looked at her with that special smile that she knew was reserved just for his two girls – his wife and his daughter.

Felicity’s hand moved to her rounded belly on its own accord. She could feel her unborn baby moving under the palm of her hand, kicking against her fingers with much more strength than you thought such a tiny human being could have, and she couldn’t help but smile at the feeling. Soon, this baby would enjoy that special smile of Oliver’s too.

As Felicity took a few steps forward, clearing the doorway for the other passengers, she watched Oliver bending down until his eyes were on one level with Mae’s. He squeezed her small shoulders and nodded towards Felicity as soon as Mae was able to look away from the puppy at the other end of the hall. He whispered something into her ear, and only a second later Mae turned her head towards Felicity. It took her another three seconds to find her mother in the crowd, but, as soon as their eyes locked, a wide smile spread on Mae’s face.

“Mommy!”

Chuckling, Felicity took a few more steps forward, making sure she wasn’t standing in the way of anyone. Just as she had spread her arms, Mae reached her. She didn’t stop soon enough, so Felicity actually stumbled three steps back when her daughter just threw herself at her, but she already wrapped her arms around her little girl and held her to her tightly.

“God, I am so glad to be back home.”

“But you are not home yet,” Mae said, angling her head back to look at her mother with an amused grin. “You are still at the airport.”

Felicity chuckled. Her daughter was a little smartass, something Oliver insisted she had inherited from her rather than him. Felicity didn’t mind.

“Is it the baby that makes you forget these things again?”

Chuckling wholeheartedly, Felicity let her head fall back for a moment. She tightened her arms around Mae, keeping her as close as possible to her.

At the beginning of her pregnancy, she had indeed been a little forgetful. Well, actually she had been more than just a little forgetful. She had been so forgetful that she and Oliver had made an appointment with a neurologist to make sure there weren’t any medical reasons for that. It had indeed just been the pregnancy though.

“No, the baby is not making me forget anything right now because you are right. We still are at the airport,” Felicity said, “but I am with you and daddy, and that is all that makes a home for me.”

“Not our house?”

“Not as much as you and daddy,” Felicity replied.

Mae seemed to struggle with that answer. For an eight-year-old, Felicity guessed it was hard to understand that home didn’t have to be a place. Sometimes, home was just where the people you loved were.

Still not saying a word, Mae tried to make her arms as long as possible. Felicity knew she trying to let her fingertips brush together behind her mother’s back. Since Mae had learned about the pregnancy, she had eagerly waited for the moment her arms weren’t long enough to encompass her mother’s belly anymore. Now she checked every day possible if the span between her fingers had increased since the last time she had hugged Felicity.

“Did you bring me something?”

Felicity chuckled at the sudden change of topic. She rubbed her hands over her daughter’s back for a moment before she leaned down and kissed the crown of her head. With a sigh, she let go of her and nodded towards her suitcase then.

“Of course I did,” she replied with a smile. “It’s in the front pocket.”

“I wanna see it,” Mae said, the excitement audible in her voice. “Please.”

Felicity smiled and nodded her head. She pulled her suitcase closer and unzipped the front pocket. She pulled the neatly wrapped gift she had stuffed inside out and handed it to Mae, who started ripping away the paper quickly. As she held the unwrapped gift in her hands, Mae frowned and lifted her gaze to her mother.

“Mommy, what is that?”

“It’s a kite,” Felicity explained. “The toy you can let fly when there is wind, you know? Grandpa gave you one last year before he and grandma got on their world cruise, but a gust of wind took it away.”

“That was fun.”

Mae chuckled, turning the gift around in her hands a couple of times. When she saw the photo that showed what the kite would look like once it would fly, her eyes started sparkling. Felicity smiled. She had been sure that, if the kite itself might not be the best gift for her, it’s form would certainly thrill her daughter.

“Does it look like a shark?”

“Exactly,” Felicity told her. “I thought you’d like that.”

“I love it.”

The enthusiasm in Mae’s voice left no doubt that she really meant it. With a wide smile on her lips, she threw herself back at her mother and hugged her so tightly that Felicity almost stumbled back another step. She managed to keep her balance though and just wrapped her arms back around Mae just as tightly.

It was crazy. She had only been in Gotham City for three days, but it almost felt like it had been forever. Being away from her family, even if it was just for a couple of days, always felt weird. Having her unborn baby to take with her wherever she went did offer a little comfort, but it hadn’t made her miss her husband and daughter any less.

The thought made Felicity tighten her arms around Mae’s small frame once more. She angled her head forward and kissed the crown of her daughter’s head. Pushing her nose against her hairline, she breathed her daughter in.

The sound of a voice being cleared very close made Felicity finally look up again. Her eyes met Oliver’s gaze, and she felt a warm shiver running down her spine. Her stomach started to tingle and her heart skipped a beat before it started racing in her chest.

How was it possible to still be so madly in love with someone you had shared almost a decade of your life with?

“I think it’s my turn to welcome mommy back home now.”

Mae chuckled. “What if I just never let go of her?”

“Oh, you are going to get to know a really different side of daddy then,” Oliver growled teasingly. “A much darker side.”

Mae laughed, not believing her dad. Oliver didn’t hesitate to prove how serious he was about that though. With a little growl, he lifted Mae into his arms upside down. Her head was resting against his hip and her feet were dangling over his shoulder. Mae screeched with amusement, holding her kite against her safely. Oliver turned around from Felicity briefly. He set Mae back down on the floor then standing between Mae and her now, he turned back around to Felicity.

“My turn,” he whispered.

With that, he lifted his hands and cupped Felicity’s cheek. Smiling, he leaned in and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Felicity sighed into it, leaning against Oliver and wrapping her arms around his chest.

Sometimes, in moments like these, she felt like she was addicted to kissing Oliver. The way his lips moved against hers in the perfect rhythm and the way the taste of his tongue made her forget everything around her just felt like a high she didn’t want to come down from.

“Dad, did you see the gift mommy brought me?”

With an inaudible sigh falling from his lips, Oliver broke the kiss. He shot Felicity a brief glance that made her chuckle and drop her forehead against his chest for a moment. She knew how much he loved being a daddy, but she also knew how frustrated he could get when he was interrupted while kissing her.

“No,” he said eventually. “Show me. What did mommy bring you?”

“A kite!” Mae said, her voice full of excitement. “It looks like a shark. Can we let it fly today, daddy? Please!”

Oliver chuckled. “Let’s delay that till tomorrow. We gotta make sure mommy gets some rest before our big event this evening.”

Mae didn’t seem exactly pleased about the answer. She pushed her bottom lip forward and scrunched up her nose. With sadness in her eyes, she looked at the kite in her hands.

“It’s just one day, Mae,” Oliver told her. “Do you want to push mommy’s suitcase to the car?”

“Okay.”

Felicity pressed her lips together, biting back a chuckle. Luckily, Mae was distracted pretty easily so far. She could only hope that it would stay like that for a while longer. It made their life a lot easier.

“Do you want me to take your kite?”

Oliver had already reached out his hand for the gift, but Mae held it out of his reach quickly. She tightened her hold on it, pressing it close to her chest. Pushing it under her left arm, she grabbed her mother’s suitcase and shot her father a pointed glare then.

“I can do both, daddy. I am not a baby anymore.”

“Well, excuse me,” Oliver said pointedly.

Mae got the hint that her behavior hadn’t been exactly the best because she quickly put on an apologetic smile. Luckily, Oliver was never unforgiving when it came to her. He winked, letting her know that it was all forgotten already, and tousled her blonde hair briefly. When Mae giggled, trying to duck away, Oliver nodded towards the exit. Mae quickly tightened her grip on her mother’s suitcase and walked ahead. Meanwhile Oliver rested his arm around Felicity’s shoulder to pull her closer to his side and followed their daughter. Felicity rested her head against her head against his shoulder with a sigh.

“How did your appointment go?” Oliver asked eventually and kissed Felicity’s temple. “Was your trip at least worth it?”

“It was. Everything went well.” Smiling, Felicity stroked her hand up and down his abs and smiled at her husband. “Don’t be mad at me for going on that trip.”

Oliver grumbled some words Felicity didn’t understand, but she was sure that he hadn’t meant for her to hear them anyway. He had probably just expressed his dislike for her business trip once more.

She knew that he had been anything but delighted when Felicity had told him that she was going to go on one last business trip before the baby was born. Given the bad luck they had had during their first years together, though mostly a result of bad decisions they had made because they had just been too young, Felicity had understood his reluctance. She had managed to convince him that everything was going to be okay though, so he had agreed to let her go to Gotham. Otherwise, Felicity wouldn’t have gone.

“The flight was okay too?”

“Let’s say I was shaken thoroughly, but it’s okay.”

From the corner of her eyes, Felicity could see Oliver watching her. She turned her head, observing his face. She could see the worry in his eyes, and quickly leaned more against him. Smiling at him comfortingly, she moved her hand higher on his chest and spread her fingers over his heart.

“I am fine,” she promised, “and the baby is too. Remember what the doctor said. I am a perfectly healthy woman at the perfect age to have a baby, and the baby is just the right size and just the right weight too. We are perfect.”

Felicity could feel Oliver taking in a deep breath and holding it in his lungs for a couple of seconds. When he released the breath with a little sigh, he nodded his head. Angling his head forward, he brushed his lips against her temple and tightened his arm around her shoulders.

For Oliver, the fear of things going wrong was much more omnipresent than it was for Felicity. He had missed so much time with Mae while Felicity had been pregnant and during the first two years of her life. The baby they would have in a couple of weeks was Oliver’s second chance. He didn’t want to miss a single moment with this baby. At the same time, he was so very scared that history would just repeat itself again and bring the same or new troubles that threatened to rip their family apart.

Of course Felicity understood why he was feeling again. Life had thrown quite the hurdles at them, and they had been too young to deal with that the right way. She knew that was different now though. She and Oliver had both grown as individuals and as a couple. They could take whatever struggles would come their way.

Hopefully, life would also help and just be a little kinder to them.

“Do you want to grab some lunch on our way home?” Oliver asked when they left the building and headed to the parking lot. “We could go to the supermarket, so you can pick everything you would like, and I will cook you something nice with that.”

“No, I had lunch on the flight.”

Oliver looked at her with an incredulous expression on his face. Felicity pressed her lips together and rolled them into her mouth, shooting Oliver an innocent and yet apologetic glance. She had known that he wouldn’t be pleased if he heard about it.

“Really?” he asked, “You are married to one of the best chefs on the west coast and you just eat on your flight?”

“Since I am sure that you will spoil me with all of the best food in the world for the next few months, I thought that eating on the flight was a good way to say goodbye to bad food for a while.”

Frowning, Felicity turned her head and rested her chin against Oliver’s shoulder. She watched his face thoroughly, trying to find out what he was thinking. The muscles in his face were relaxed. There was no sadness or even tension. He really looked peaceful.

“Are you sure you really want to close the restaurant and reject all orders for show-cooking for the next few months?” Felicity asked, rubbing her hand over his heart. “I know how much you love cooking and creating new dishes. It challenges you, and it relaxes you. It’s who you are.”

“Hey, I will still cook a lot the following months,” Oliver replied, smiling at Felicity. “Someone’s gotta spoil our family with all the good food after all.”

“It’s not going to be the same though.”

Oliver nodded slowly. He turned his head and looked ahead of him for a long moment. His eyes were focused on the back of Mae’s head, and Felicity could see the corners of his lips twitching at whatever he was thinking.

“I love cooking,” Oliver said after a while, a content smile on his lips, “but I am really, really looking forward to being a stay-at-home dad. I can’t imagine any better way to spend the next few months than being at home and taking care of my family. That is if you don’t mind keeping me.”

There was no doubt in Oliver’s eyes. Actually, there was a deep contentedness in there, showing that he really meant it. He really couldn’t think of anything better to do with his life than letting everything he did revolve around his family. He really wanted that. No objections. No doubts. Nothing.

Felicity smiled warmly. “I think I am able to deal with that.”

 

*****

 

“We are too late, mommy,” Mae said with a sigh. “Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Laurel and Uncle Tommy are already there. You see?”

Felicity’s gaze followed the direction Mae’s forefinger pointed to. Through the large glass windows, she could look inside Oliver’s restaurant and see that her daughter was actually right. Everyone else, at least all the special guests Oliver had invited for the evening, were already gathered together.

“We might be a little late, but we are not too late,” Felicity explained. She stroked her hand over her belly. “Besides, everyone will forgive us anyway.”

“Because we are Queens and the Queens are never late?” Mae asked. “Everyone else is just early?”

“I know your dad told you that Queen Clarisse said so because of us, but, really, dad was just using that as an excuse because he is always late, Mae,” Felicity replied and tapped her forefinger against the tip of her daughter’s nose. “You know you can take after your dad as much as you want, but please don’t take after him in that.”

Mae giggled.

“We will be forgiven because mommy’s carrying a baby, and nobody is angry at women who are having a baby soon.”

Without another word, Mae opened the door to the restaurant. She was holding it open for Felicity despite the heavy weight, so Felicity slipped into the restaurant quickly. Well, she stepped into it as quickly as she could given all the weight she had gained in the pregnancy.

“We are here!”

Everyone turned around to them, and Moira approached them immediately. With spread arms and a warm smile on her lips, she hugged Felicity and kissed her cheek.

“Felicity, my dear,” she said and held her hands when she pulled out of the hug. “I am so relieved to see you are back. How are you?”

“I am fine.” Felicity squeezed Moira’s hands comfortingly. “I told you not to let Oliver make you feel guilty for asking me to go on that business trip to Gotham.”

“Easier said than done.” Moira sighed before she smiled and linked her arm with Felicity’s and beckoned for someone to come closer. “I’d like to introduce you to someone.”

Perking up her eyebrows, Felicity looked back over her shoulder. A tall man with broad shoulders and a really handsome face was approaching them. With the serious look in his eyes and the tense body posture, she was almost sure that she knew why Moira wanted to introduce him. Besides, the gun in the holster at his hip was quite helpful to give her an idea too.

“Felicity, this is Adrian Chase,” Moira explained. “Mr. Chase took over the position as the head of security for our family.”

Moira had been looking for an appropriate candidate to replace their last head of security for months now. Since the last head of security had handed in his resignation because as a father-to-be he had wanted a job with more regular working hours and safer work conditions, she had interviewed at least fifteen applicants, but neither had met her requirements. If she had finally found someone for the job, he had had to be a really skilled person.

“It is nice to meet you, Mrs. Smoak-Queen.”

Felicity smiled and shook Mr. Chase’s hand. “It’s a responsible task that you have taken on here, Mr. Chase.”

“Please just call me Adrian,” he asked, “and I will do my best to keep you and your family safe.”

“That’s all you can do.” Felicity smiled. “Luckily, you won’t have much to do there.”

Admittedly, Felicity had no idea if the last head of security had really felt unsafe in his job or if maybe meeting Moira’s high requirements had just been a little bit too much for him. In all the years Felicity had known the Queens, they had never been attacked. The most a head of security had to do for them was managing the working hours of the other security staff, making sure the alarm system was checked regularly and keeping paparazzi away. The job was much more about driving Moira through the city than about taking a bullet for anyone.

Adrian smiled. When he turned his head slightly, his smile widened, and he lifted his fingers for a little wave. Felicity followed his gaze to see Mae, who was leaning back against Walter’s legs, was smiling and waving at him. Felicity guessed that she had already met Adrian while Felicity had been in Gotham, since she had certainly spent a lot of time at the Queens’ mansion with her Grandmother.

“Thank you, Mr. Chase. You can take the rest of the night off now,” Moira told him. “I just wanted to introduce you to my daughter-in-law. My husband and I will take a cab home.”

“Alright, Mrs. Queen.” Adrian nodded. “Have a nice evening.”

“You too.”

Felicity waited until Adrian was out of reach before she leaned against her mother-in-law a little and whispered, “He’s handsome.”

“Indeed.”

Moira looked at Felicity, and they both started chuckling.

As Adrian Chase left the restaurant, Moira led Felicity to where the others were waiting for them. Felicity was welcomed with warm hugs and brief kisses to the cheek, almost like she had been gone for a month. She didn’t mind though. It was always a good feeling to know you were missed. When she stepped back next to Moira, her mother-in-law linked their arms once more. Felicity squeezed her hand and shot her a comforting smile.

Felicity knew that, just like for Oliver, this baby was also a second chance for Moira. The bond between her and Felicity had become a lot stronger over the years, especially during the year they had thought Oliver was dead and now that Thea was off to a boarding school in Europe. Still, Moira regretted thoroughly that she had once offered Felicity money to take Mae and disappear from Oliver’s life. She wanted to make things better this time around even though that incident was long forgotten for Felicity already.

“You look really great by the way.”

After smiling at her mother-in-law briefly, Felicity lowered her eyes to look down at herself. She was wearing a red dress that fitted around her round belly perfectly. It was an off-shoulder-dress because she knew Oliver had a thing for shoulders, and she loved the look on his face when he saw her wearing something that he knew she was wearing just for him. From what she had seen in the mirror before leaving, Moira was probably right and she did look great or at least okay.

“I feel like I am going to explode any second.”

“Which is why you are no longer allowed in my car,” Tommy said and pointed at her pregnant belly with his glass of whiskey. “Until this baby is born, you are not even going anywhere close to my car.”

While Laurel slapped his chest playfully, telling him not to speak to her sister that way, Felicity just rolled her eyes. She doubted Tommy would ever get over the expensive Porsche that had been ruined when Felicity’s water had broke while she had been sitting on the passenger seat. Instead of taking Oliver’s offer to just let him pay the cleansing of the car, Tommy had actually given the car to them as a gift for Mae’s birth. That two-seater might not have been the best gift to give to young parents hadn’t occurred to him.

“Is that because I was almost born in your car, Uncle Tommy?”

“Exactly.”

Tommy beckoned for Mae to come to him, and she let go of Walter’s hand quickly to grab Tommy’s instead. With a little pirouette, she leaned against him and looked at him with her big, blue eyes.

“You look really beautiful tonight, you know that?” he told her. “You are without any doubt the most beautiful woman in this room.”

“Well, you should have proposed to me.”

Everyone around chuckled. It was no secret that Mae had been a little disappointed when Tommy had announced that he was getting married to Laurel. She had known that he would propose to her since he had actually practiced for the proposal by proposing to Mae. Still, Mae hadn’t been too fond of the news at the end. She just loved her uncle a lot, and she didn’t like sharing him.

She’d get over it as soon as Laurel would ask her to help picking a wedding dress though. Felicity knew her daughter.

“Wanna know a secret?” Tommy crouched down in front of Mae and leaned in very close, so the words he whispered next were barely audible for anyone but her. “You have actually been my first choice. I would have proposed to you, but I was sure your dad would kill me if I did.”

“Very true.”

At the sound of Oliver’s voice, Felicity turned around. Oliver stepped right behind her and kissed her shoulder before he put his hands on her hips and smiled at her softly.

“You look beautiful.”

Felicity smiled, feeling herself blush. No matter how many times Oliver had said this to her yet, she would never get tired of hearing it. Coming from him, it would always mean the most to her. When she turned around in his arms, Oliver brushed his fingertips over her cheek, only increasing her blush more. It made him smile because he just loved seeing her blush.

“Are you nervous?” Felicity asked.

Oliver took in a deep breath and looked away for a moment. His eyes were shining with love when he looked back at her though. It was weird how it still surprised him at times that Felicity could read almost everything he felt from his face.

“A little,” he admitted eventually, nodding his head, “but it’s already better now that you are here.”

Felicity smiled and straightened up onto the tip of her toes to brush her lips against Oliver’s. She knew a kiss was more encouraging than anything she could say. Lowering herself back onto her heels, she saw that she had been right. Oliver’s face did look a little bit more relaxed. Maybe, it was just because his fingers were spread on the side of her belly, feeling the soft kicks of their baby against the palm of his hand.

“He is falling asleep,” Felicity told him, putting her hand over his.

“That’s good.” Oliver smiled. “It means she will let you enjoy your dinner instead of playing football with your organs.”

“He already played football with my bladder, so Mae and I were almost late for dinner. I had to pee at least fifteen times in thirty minutes.”

“Almost being the keyword.” Oliver kissed the tip of Felicity’s nose playfully. “Come on, I will lead my three girls to the table.”

Oliver laced his fingers with Felicity’s and tugged at her hand to make him follow. Felicity went with him willingly, smiling to herself. She already knew that she and Oliver would continue playing this game where she’d insist on the baby being a boy and he’d object to it for the rest of the pregnancy. She just hoped Oliver wouldn’t be too disappointed when the baby was going to be a boy at the end. Felicity had a feeling that it really was going to be a boy.

When they reached a table in the middle of the room, Oliver held out the chair for her. Soon after her, everyone else was taking their seats. Apart from the family, Oliver had invited around twenty of their closest friends and his most loyal clients. It was a nice group, perfect for the occasion.

With one last kiss to her lips, Oliver stepped in front of the bar. He made a simple gesture, but it was enough to cause silence to spread in the room.

“Is daddy going to give a speech now?” Mae asked.

Felicity nodded her head. “I think so.”

Mae pulled her legs onto the chair, sitting back on her heels. She straightened up as much as possible, trying to get a better look at her daddy. For a brief moment, she glanced at Felicity’s thighs like she considered climbing onto her lap. With the pregnant belly in the way, she probably knew that there wouldn’t be room for her though.

“Thanks everyone for coming,” Oliver said. “I am very grateful to get the chance of celebrating with you today. These last three years since I opened this restaurant was a lot of fun. I love this place. I love my work here. I love the people here.”

Saying that, his eyes met Felicity’s. She smiled, encouraging him without saying a word the same way he had done all those times she had given a speech at Queen Consolidated.

“This place has become a second home for me, a place I can really be myself at,” he continued. “I will miss being here at five out of seven days each week. I know that I won’t have much time to wallow in any self-pity though because the restaurant will only be closed for less than a year. Besides, I am already sure that my time away from this place will be filled with new tasks and new responsibilities since, as you all know, Felicity and I are expecting our second child.”

Everyone that was present applauded. Moira reached out a hand and squeezed Felicity’s shoulder, making her smile.

“I cannot wait to meet the newest family member, and I cannot wait to spend every single minute of every single day with her.”

“Him,” Felicity shouted, making everyone chuckle.

“Or him,” Oliver said, winking at her. “I couldn’t have built up Verdant without the support and the love of my family. They had a lot of understanding for the amount of time I put into this project, and they always had my back. Now I cannot wait to give this love and support back and spend more time with my family again. So, please raise your glasses to my family, who made these last three years possible, and to this evening that won’t be a goodbye forever. It’s just a temporary goodbye, and I will be happy to invite you all back here for the reopening in a few months. Until then, I will enjoy the happiest time of being a stay-at-home dad. Cheers.”

“Cheers,” everyone said in chorus, raising their glasses.

Felicity sipped at her ice tea, watching Oliver over the rim of her glass. He blew her a kiss, making her smile, before he disappeared into the kitchen.

“For the record,” Tommy said, “I will invite myself over to dinner at your place at least five times each week from now on.”

Felicity chuckled. “You are always welcome at our place. I am sure we can use the help when this little nugget here is born.”

“Oh, I am not coming to help,” Tommy said. “I am just coming for Oliver’s cooking.”

He took the menu card and read it thoroughly. Felicity didn’t need to read it to know what it said. Oliver had thought about which dishes to serve for dinner today thoroughly, and he had asked for her opinion at least ten times. When Oliver did something, he didn’t do it half-heartedly. He always put all his energy and all his heart into it.

The thought made her smile since Felicity already knew it would be the same when he was a stay-at-home dad. He would be the perfect father and husband, well, even more perfect than he already was if that was possible at all.

 

*****

 

With a content smile on his lips, Oliver watched Mae sleeping. Her chest rose and fell in a slow but even rhythm. The corners of her lips twitched slightly like she was trying to smile in her sleep, and it made Oliver’s smile widen.

He remembered a time, the first two years after he had come back from the island actually, that he had sat at Mae’s bedside and watched her sleeping for hours every night. Back then, he hadn’t been able to understand how he had been so lucky to get a second chance with his family. Sometimes, in moments like these, he still had trouble understanding.

Oliver shook his head quickly, taking in a deep breath. He had had a great time tonight, filled with love and wonderful memories. Those memories of the island, memories of cold nights and hunger, had taken too many wonderful moments and covered them with a feeling of sorrow. That wouldn’t happen to this night. He wouldn’t allow the dark memories he carried with him every day to ruin this day for him.

Brushing some strands of her hair out of her face, Oliver leaned down and kissed Mae’s temple. Usually, she would whisper that she loved him in her sleep, but she seemed to be too tired for that tonight. Oliver wasn’t worried though. It had been a long night for her, and she had actually fallen asleep on the way home from Verdant already.

“Sleep tight, Sweetie.”

Just when Oliver was about to pull away, Mae grabbed his hand. When he looked at her face, he saw that she was looking at him with her big, blue eyes. There was a little bit of sadness or fear or maybe something else there. Whatever it was made Oliver frown and stroke his hand over her hair though.

“Daddy?”

“What’s wrong, Mae?” Oliver asked. “Did you have a nightmare?”

For a long moment, Mae didn’t answer. She just looked at Oliver, making him only worry more.

“Daddy, are you going to love the baby more than me?”

For a split second, Oliver’s frown deepened. He had expected a lot of different answers, but he hadn’t expected this. Mae had been looking forward to have a sibling even before Felicity had been pregnant. Since she knew that her dream was coming true, she had told everyone everything she knew about the baby. She had been as excited as he and Felicity had been, so this seemed to come out of nowhere.

Stroking his hand over Mae’s hair once more, Oliver thought about it a little bit more thoroughly. He remembered that, when Felicity had surprised him with the news during his last birthday, he had started crying. He just been so overwhelmed since there had been a time that he had thought he was going to die. Mae hadn’t understood this reaction since she herself had been so excited about the news already. Felicity had told her that he just hoped that everything would be alright this time because he had missed so much time when Mae had been a baby or a toddler.

Of course that had been a lot for a girl her age to understand, but Oliver and Felicity had always played with open cards. Mae couldn’t remember that he hadn’t been actively in her life between her first and her second birthday. She had been too young to remember. Felicity and Oliver had made sure that Mae understood that there had been a time like that though. They didn’t keep that from her because it was an important truth that still had ramifications on their life now.

Oliver smiled at Mae softly.

“Why do you think that?” he asked her with a low whisper. “Is it because mommy and I told you that I am really excited about this baby because I will get to spend a lot more time with her or with him than I got to spend with you?”

Mae hesitated briefly before she nodded her head. “Yes.”

With a low sigh, Oliver lay down in bed next to Mae. He pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her safely like he never wanted to let her go again, and kissed the crown of her head. Mae giggled as her hair got caught in his stubble a little bit. She angled her head back, looking at him with much more joy in her eyes again.

“I am really excited about this baby,” Oliver explained to her, “because mommy and I talked about having another baby for really long before we decided that we are really ready to have one. I know I will spend a lot more time with this baby than I got to spend with when you were that tiny. Just because I get to spend more time with this baby now, it doesn’t mean that this baby will be more important to me than you are though.”

Mae looked up at him for a long moment. He knew her words had reached her, but she still needed a little bit more encouragement.

“I love you, Mae,” he whispered and kissed her forehead. “I love you so much, and I love this baby so much too. No matter what happens, I will love you and the baby and every possible sibling that might come after that just the same – not more, but also not less.”

He looked at her urgently, making sure she really understood that he meant it just like that. Eventually, Mae nodded her head. With a smile on her lips, she snuggled closer to him, rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Oliver released a breath of relief and tightened his arms around her once more.

Sometimes, most of the time actually, it was hard for Oliver to believe that he and Mae hadn’t been close once upon a time. These days, they were almost like inseparable, and Oliver knew their bond would only become stronger when he was going to be a stay-at-home dad now.

It took less than three minutes for Mae to fall back asleep in his arms. Oliver kissed Mae’s forehead before he slipped his arms away from under her body as carefully as possible and climbed out of bed. At the door, he turned around once more and only left Mae’s room once he was sure that she was fast asleep.

Rolling his shoulders, Oliver went towards the stairs. He hadn’t known how tense he had been at the prospect of the dinner tonight. Now that all the tension had fallen off, he noticed how tense he had really been through.

Oliver had just reached the foot of the stairs when he heard a distinctly familiar sound coming from the living room. A warm feeling settled in his chest though he still didn’t know where he knew that melody from. There was just some subconscious memory linked to it that made him feel so comfortable.

He walked towards the living room quietly. Peaking a look into the room through the open door, a wide smile spread on his lips. Without making a sound, so Felicity wouldn’t notice him, he leaned into the frame of the door and just took in the scene in front of him.

Felicity was lying stretched-out on the couch. She was using her right hand as a pillow. Her left hand was stroking up and down her belly slowly. Her phone was resting on the top of her baby bump, playing the soft melody. Only now Oliver remembered where he had heard it before as it had been the melody of a Hebrew lullaby that Donna had sung when Mae had been a baby.

His heart filled with so much love. Just seeing Felicity lying there and relaxing was enough to make a thousand butterflies flutter in the pit of his stomach. In almost ten years, there hadn’t been a day that Oliver hadn’t fallen in love with Felicity all over again. It seemed like every single day there was a new part of him that fell in love with her.

“Instead of standing there and watching me, you could make yourself useful and massage my feet,” Felicity said without opening her eyes. “They are carrying two people now after all, and one of them is your son.”

“The feet that carry my daughter,” Oliver replied and only now Felicity blinked at him through one eye, “are feet I just have to massage.”

Chuckling, Oliver crossed the distance towards the couch. He sat down at the end of the couch and pulled her feet into his lap. Without hesitation, he started massaging her right foot. Felicity responded to it with a content smile.

A long moment passed in silence. Oliver just massaged Felicity’s feet and watched her face. She probably looked relaxed to someone who didn’t know her that well. Since Oliver knew her better than anyone else did, he didn’t miss that she was doing that thing with her eyebrows that she always did when she wasn’t relaxed.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

Felicity sighed. “Just exhausted.”

Oliver puckered his lips. He told himself not to say it out loud, but he just couldn’t help himself.

“One more reason why you shouldn’t have gone on that business trip.”

Felicity opened her eyes and shot him a pointed glared. When she kicked his chest lightly, Oliver gasped for breath. He was already chuckling in the next moment though.

“You shouldn’t have made your mother feel guilty for asking me to go on that trip to Gotham?”

“Oh really?” Oliver asked. “You are pregnant. What’s her excuse?”

“Maybe her wedding anniversary with your father,” Felicity replied, “that she wanted to spent as home with Walter at her side rather than a foreign city.”

Oliver felt a pain in his chest. He hadn’t known about that wedding anniversary, or maybe he had known but completely forgotten. All he had been able to think of was that Felicity, his pregnant wife, was going to leave her home for a business trip that could have easily been done by anyone else than her.

Sometimes her forgot that he hadn’t been the only one who had been traumatized by what had happened. He knew that seeing his father shooting himself in front of his eyes and spending one year just trying to survive had been traumatizing for him. There were just times that it was the only way he could see the sinking of the Gambit when, actually, he knew that his mother and Felicity had been just as deeply hurt by what had happened. They had lost the men they had loved, and it had been hard for them to pick themselves up after that even though Felicity had gotten him back a year later.

“Okay, I would really like to hug you now, but I can’t get up,” Felicity said and reached out her hands for him. “Please help me up.”

Despite knowing how badly he had screwed up, Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle. He grabbed Felicity’s hands and pulled her into a sitting position. Felicity sighed, rubbing her hands over her back for a moment before she climbed onto his lap as much as possible. Her baby bump pressed against his abs, and Oliver could feel their baby kicking. He wrapped his arms around her waist, angling his head back to look at her face.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Felicity told him. “Your mother knows that you have other things on your mind right now.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. Her head rested on his shoulder as she rocked him from side to side slowly. Oliver sighed and closed his eyes, letting her words wash over him.

“I still shouldn’t have blamed her.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Felicity whispered and kissed the shell of his ear. “You can right this later.”

With another sigh, Oliver closed his eyes. He rested his head against her shoulder and pressed his nose to the side of Felicity’s neck. He couldn’t get enough from the scent of her skin. It was something to get addicted to since it always reminded him of home, and, hence, calmed him down.

The longer they sat in silence, holding onto each other and just swinging from side to side, the more comfortable Oliver felt. He felt calm and relaxed, a feeling he only ever had at home.

Opening his eyes, Oliver looked around the room. He still remembered when he and Felicity had bought this home. It had been shortly after Mae’s forth birthday. Felicity had just graduated from MIT after she had raced through her Master’s degree in no time. They had known that they wanted to go back to Starling, so they had hired a realtor. She had shown them at least a dozen houses before they had found this and immediately felt home. Oliver couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

When Felicity’s phone beeped, Oliver reached into the edge of the couch where it had slipped to when she had climbed onto his lap. With a smile, he handed it to her and watched the amused smile spreading on her lips when she looked at the display.

“What?” Oliver asked.

“Someone seems to miss me,” Felicity replied with a chuckle and turned her phone around for Oliver to read the text she had received from an unknown number. “Look.”

**UN:** I miss you.

“What, you got a lover now?”

Felicity chuckled. “When would I have time for a lover?”

“Never,” Oliver replied and tightened his arms around her. His lips brushed against the underside of her jaw. “Luckily.”

“Someone must have the wrong number.”

She texted back quickly and put the phone on the couch table. With a little sigh, she turned back towards him then. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned forward and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. A soft smile was playing on her lips when she pulled back, looking at Oliver with so much love in her eyes.

“When will you have to leave?”

Oliver sighed, tightening his hold on Felicity once more. “Early tomorrow. You will probably still be asleep when I leave. Don’t argue with me about it. You need your sleep.”

Felicity released a quiet grumble, telling him that she would have most likely fought him on that if he hadn’t objected to it already. Oliver chuckled, kissing the side of Felicity’s neck. He was really grateful for the fact that she wanted to get up and say goodbye although he knew that she just needed every minute of sleep she got right now.

“I am going to miss you,” she said eventually, releasing a sigh. “I just got you back, and I already have to say goodbye to you again.”

“I know,” Oliver whispered, “but it’s just for a few hours. I will be back tomorrow night.”

“Still,” Felicity replied with a sigh. She pressed a kiss to his pulse point. “I won’t be able to pick you up from the airport by the way. I’m going shopping with Laurel.”

“Good because I didn’t want you to drive anywhere.”

Oliver couldn’t see it, but he was sure that Felicity was rolling her eyes. He knew that she didn’t want him to be overprotective, but Oliver just couldn’t help himself.

“You know that means that we will be separated for a few hours more, right?”

Oliver smiled at the grumpiness in her voice. Rubbing his hands over her back soothingly, he whispered, “It’s the last order for show cooking. After that, I am all yours.”

Felicity chuckled, pulling back a little. Her hands massaged his tensed neck while she was looking at him. Amusement sparkled in her eyes, and Oliver was almost sure that it was mirrored in his eyes too.

“Oliver, your ass has been mine for years now,” she told him and poked her forefinger against his chest. “Don’t ever doubt that.”

Oliver smiled. He knew she was right. From the moment she had spilled her coffee over him and his laptop at Queen Consolidated, he had been all hers. He might have not seen it back then already, but he had been hopelessly in love with her from that moment on. Nothing had ever changed that.

“I love you,” Oliver whispered. “I love you so much.”

Felicity smiled. She framed his face with her hands and moved her fingertips through his stubble slowly. Taking in a deep breath, Felicity leaned in. Her lips brushed against his briefly before she closed the distance completely. It was a slow and gentle kiss, one that knew no hurry and consisted of so much love.

As their lips parted now and Felicity pulled back, Oliver opened his eyes to look at her. Her pupils were blown wide, her iris darkened. Hunger was written into her eyes, and Oliver could feel it in the way her hips shifted slightly too.

“I think we should use tonight to” – Felicity cleared her throat – “be together.”

Oliver smiled. “Yeah?”

Felicity nodded, and no other words were needed. Their lips met in another kiss, and their bodies just took over from there.


	2. Chapter 2

When the doorbell rang, Felicity glanced at her watch and groaned. She had been sure that she would still be ready in time, but, apparently, she still hadn’t gotten used to how much longer she just needed for everything when she was pregnant. Especially with the baby bump, it was just unbelievable how long everything seemed to take.

“Coming!” Felicity shouted when the doorbell rang once more. “Just a second.”

As quickly as she could, Felicity hurried down the stairs. She held onto the banister tightly as she did so. She really didn’t want to tempt her luck. So far, everything in this pregnancy had gone smoothly, and she didn’t want that to change.

Once she had reached the foot of the stairs, Felicity dropped her shoes to the floor. Without any pause, she hurried towards the door then.

“Hi, I’m so sorry. I-“

To her surprise, it wasn’t Laurel she saw standing in front of her door though. Instead, there was a man she had never seen before, holding a bouquet of at least two dozen of red roses.

“Mrs. Smoak-Queen?”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows. “Yes?”

“These flowers are for you,” the man told her. With a polite smile on his thin lips, he handed her the bouquet. “Someone seems to be thinking about you. Have a nice day.”

Felicity was too distracted by the roses in her arms to reply. She angled her head forward to lower her nose into the flowers. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and enjoyed the wonderful scent.

When Felicity lifted her gaze again, about to wish the man from the flower delivery a nice day too, she realized that he was already gone. With a brief look back at the flowers, Felicity kicked the door shut and stepped back into the house.

She couldn’t remember when she had been sent a bouquet of flowers the last time. Actually, Felicity wasn’t even sure if she had ever gotten a bouquet of flowers, at least not one that was given to her through a delivery guy. Whenever Oliver had brought her a bouquet of flowers, he had brought it with him.

Going into the kitchen where she was keeping some vases, Felicity looked at the flowers once more. Only now she saw the small card that was attached to one of the roses. Lying the flowers down on the kitchen counter, so she had both of her hands free, she grabbed the card and read it.

_I miss you, and I can’t wait to see you again._

There was no sender mentioned, but there didn’t need to be. There was just one person who could send her a bouquet of flowers like that with a card like that.

Felicity smiled to herself. Oliver just continued to be the sweetest. They would only be apart for around twelve hours. Still, he sent he the flowers to make her know how much he missed her and how much he longed to be back with her. She couldn’t wish for anyone better to be at her side.

Smiling, Felicity pressed the card against her heart for a moment. If she hadn’t fallen in love with Oliver a long time ago already, she certainly would fall in love with him now. Knowing how much he needed her to know that he missed her whenever they were apart just warmed her heart more than she had thought it would after all these years.

Felicity put the flowers into a vase and placed them on the couch table. She was still taking them in when the doorbell rang once more. With a deep sigh, she turned away from the flowers and headed to the door.

“Hi,” Laurel said and kissed her cheek. “Mae and Tommy just wanted me out of the house as soon as possible to have their Mae-and-Tommy-Day. Am I early?”

“Maybe a little,” Felicity replied, shrugging her shoulders, “but I am almost ready anyway, so I don’t mind. Just give me a minute to put on my shoes.”

“Do you need help with that?”

Felicity looked back over her shoulder at her stepsister with an incredulous look in her eyes. Laurel held her gaze for only two seconds before she looked away. Chuckling, she let the front door fall shut and followed Felicity into the foyer of the cozy home.

“Did Oliver infect you with his overprotectiveness now?”

Chuckling, Felicity rolled her eyes.

She was used to questions like that, asking if she needed help tying her shoes or just carrying her purse. Usually, it was Oliver asking her those questions though. After all the struggles they had had in life and all the ways she had suffered during her pregnancy with Mae, he tried to make the pregnancy as easy as possible for her.

Oliver called it being protective of his family. Felicity would probably call it being overprotective, but she would never say it out loud. After everything that had happened in their lives, he had a right to feel whatever he was feeling. If he needed to make sure she was completely safe and wrapped up in cotton wool, so it’d be.

“As little as I like to admit it,” Laurel said, clearing her throat, “but Oliver’s constant need to make sure you are taken care of as well as possible really is contagious.”

Felicity couldn’t help but chuckle. At least now she knew that she wasn’t crazy, and she wasn’t the only one who realized that Oliver really tried to make her feel as protected and as taken care of as possible.

“Honestly, Oliver seems more worried now than he was during the first pregnancy,” Laurel said with a sigh. “At least I don’t remember that he was driving everyone as crazy while you were pregnant with Mae.”

Smiling, Felicity sat down on the bottommost step of the stairs and grabbed her right shoe. She had to admit to herself that it really wasn’t easy to put that shoe on, but she didn’t say that out loud. She just put it on and got back up with a triumphant smile on her face.

“Like I said,” Laurel repeated, “Oliver seems more worried now than he was during the pregnancy with Mae.”

Grabbing her purse, Felicity shrugged her shoulders. “I think it’s because we only really know now what we are getting ourselves into. When we were having Mae, it was just too much for us. We couldn’t really fathom how much responsibility we were taking on. We were just kids. That’s just different now.”

Laurel frowned slightly. “Are you more nervous this time too?”

Felicity thought about that question thoroughly, and she didn’t need a lot of time to find her answer. These past months, she had always kept thinking how this baby was a new chance for Oliver, but the truth was that this baby was a new chance for her too.

“Maybe a little,” Felicity replied eventually.

Taking a step towards her, Laurel took Felicity’s hand a squeezed them comfortingly. She was looking at her with worry in her eyes, but it only made Felicity chuckle.

“Everything’s fine,” she promised, shaking her head. “Honestly, I am fine. Let’s go shopping.”

Laurel looked at her with doubt in her eyes, but Felicity just shot her a reassuring smile. Nodding her head, Laurel sucked in a deep breath and nodded her head.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Are we going to take my car or your car?”

“Well, your husband said he will kill me if I let you drive,” Laurel replied, “and my fiancé said he will laugh at me if my car gets ruined if my little niece or nephew is going to make an unexpectedly early entry into this world today. Since I rather being laughed at than killed, we will take mine.”

Felicity chuckled, shaking her head about that fact that Tommy really couldn’t get over the Porsche he had had in high school. She pushed the passenger seat back as far as possible, so she could get into it comfortably. Fastening the seat belt safely, she looked out of the window while Laurel was directing the car close to the center of the city.

Felicity couldn’t help but think about Laurel’s question from before and realized how nervous she had really been at the start of this pregnancy. She was a lot more relaxed now though she had to admit that the thought of having and raising this baby did scare her in some ways after all.

It was almost a little bit crazy to be nervous. She and Oliver had put a lot of thought into this decision. They had talked about this for weeks before she had trashed the rest of her pills and they had started working on making a baby. They were also a lot older and mature than they had been. Their life was well-arranged. The conditions to have this baby were just much better than the conditions had been for she had been pregnant with Mae.

Still, there was some nervousness. Felicity hadn’t been sure where it has been coming from at first, but she did know now. The truth was that she and Oliver had almost drifted apart during the pregnancy and a few times when Mae had still been a baby. This new baby, at least in some ways, was their fire test. It would prove whether their conflicts had just come from being so young or whether their relationship just hadn’t and still wasn’t strong enough to have a baby.

In the back of her mind, Felicity knew it was stupid. Her relationship with Oliver wouldn’t have survived the last years if they hadn’t actually been fit to have a family. The pregnancy was just driving her crazy.

With a low sigh, Felicity stroked her hand over her baby bump and smiled. This baby wasn’t their fire test. This baby was their chance to make things right and make things better. Felicity had pushed Oliver out of her life during the pregnancy with Mae, thinking that he would leave sooner or later anyway. That hadn’t happened this time around because she had used her chance and made things better.

By the time Felicity and Laurel were walking through the outdoor mall, their arms linked together, Felicity had pushed all the thoughts away. Now wasn’t the time for brooding anyway. Now was the time for spend some nice time with her stepsister before the baby would demand all her attention for a while.

“So, how far are the wedding preparations?”

“Not as far as I hoped they would be,” Laurel admitted with a sigh. “We have the date and the location. We have a band and some basics for the ceremony and the reception, but there is still a lot missing. I didn’t think it would be this much work to be honest. How did you do all of this?”

“I had Moira and my mom to help,” Felicity replied with a chuckle.

Laurel sighed. “My mom’s six hundred miles away, and Donna’s at the other end of the earth.”

“Yeah, it was a bad timing for Moira to give world cruise as a gift to them.” Felicity rubbed her hand over Laurel’s back. “If you need help, I am always here for you though. I only have a few more days left at work, so I will have a lot of time then. Did you make an appointment at the boutique to pick out a wedding dress?”

“Of course I did. Thanks for your recommendation by the way.”

Felicity smiled. “You are welcome.”

“You are going to come with me, right?” Laurel asked. “I really need at least one sane person to be there, and Sara’s not going to make it back to Starling before the wedding. If I will have to pick out a dress with just our moms, I will die.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Felicity replied with a chuckle, remembering the day she had picked out her own wedding dress. “Don’t worry though. You helped me through it, and I will help you through it.”

“Great.” Laurel released a sigh of relief. “My mom, your mom, Mae, you and I. That’s going to work. Hopefully.”

“It will. Trust me.” Felicity squeezed her hand. “Now, where do we start out shopping tour?”

Laurel took in a deep breath and Felicity almost believed to see a blush spreading on her cheeks. The sight made her frown slightly. Blushing was usually her part, not Laurel’s, after all.

“Well, I don’t know if you are up to that, but I was actually imagining buying some lingerie.”

“To spice everything up before the wedding?”

“More to get everything ready for the honeymoon because I already know I will need that very much after the wedding.”

Felicity chuckled. “For the record, I bought a lot of lingerie for that occasion too, and I barely wore any clothes at all, at least not during the week I spent there with Oliver alone.”

“Well, I hope I will be just as lucky then.”

“I am sure you will be,” Felicity replied and bumped her hip against Laurel. “Who knows, maybe you will join me in the group of people who don’t see their feet anymore soon.”

“Oh, I actually hope Tommy and I will wait with that a little bit more. Work is just going so well right now.”

“You have all the time in the world.”

With that, they stepped into the lingerie store. At the sight of the hundreds of different sets Felicity blew out a breath. She had almost forgotten how many different ways of looking sexy in as little fabric as possible there were. She might actually have to buy two or three sets too.

Laurel and Felicity both had a lot of fun. Laurel tried on at least twenty different sets. The staple of lingerie she wanted to buy grew each minute it seemed. Felicity limited herself to just buying safe options that she didn’t have to try on. Getting undressed and dressed when being in the last trimester of pregnancy was just too exhausting. It was why she usually left it to Oliver to take off her clothes.

Just when Laurel announced that she was going to put on her own clothes before she would be tempted to buy the entire boutique, a set of lingerie with fine, red lace caught Felicity’s attention. Puckering her lips, she went over to the clothes rail and took a closer look at the fabric.

She knew that the lingerie was exactly what Oliver would like. He loved the color red on her, and he just had a weakness for lace. She was actually very sure that she wanted to have this set too because it consisted of much more fabric than most other designs she had seen today and the lace felt so soft that she was sure it would feel comfortable against her skin.

Tempted to add it to the three sets Felicity had already picked out, Felicity turned the tag around to take a look at the price. With a groan, she put the set back to the clothing rail.

“Not your size?” Laurel asked, stepping out of the changing room.

“Not my price would be the more fitting answer.”

Laurel chuckled, shaking her head. “I think you are the only billionaire I know that watches money as much as you do.”

“I am not a billionaire,” Felicity said pointedly. “Oliver is the billionaire.”

“As far as I know, you are at the head of the multi-billion-dollar corporation, not him,” Laurel replied, “and, even if he was, I am sure he wouldn’t consider it his money.”

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. She knew Laurel was right. She and Oliver had never made a difference between his money and her money or something like that. Everything he owned, she owned too. It was the same the other way around.

Just when Felicity was about to add that she liked to have some normality in her life, her phone rang. With a sigh, Felicity pulled it from her purse and shot Laurel a brief look when she saw the caller’s ID.

“Sorry, I need to take that,” she hurried to say and turned away from Laurel. “Moira?”

“Hello, Felicity,” her mother-in-law said with soft voice. “How did the shopping go?”

“Well, we are still at it,” Felicity replied. “Why? Is there a problem.”

“Kind of, yes.” Moira sighed. “I can’t talk about it on the phone, but we could really need your help here if you don’t mind. I know you just got back from Gotham and-”

“No, it’s fine.” Felicity smiled. “The more I get done before I stop working for a while, the better.”

“Mr. Chase will pick you up if you just send him your location.”

“Alright. See you soon.”

“Yes see you soon, Felicity.”

Felicity turned back to Laurel with a sigh, making her stepsister perk up her eyebrows.

“Everything alright?”

“I guess so,” Felicity replied, “but I am needed at Queen Consolidated. You know if Moira calls, it’s urgent.”

“Well, we will just catch up on the shopping later, right?”

Felicity smiled and nodded her head. “Yes, sounds perfect.”

Laurel waited with Felicity until Adrian picked her up. The two stepsisters hugged each other briefly before Felicity turned towards the car. Adrian held the car door open and closed it behind her.

The car was just starting to move when Felicity’s phone beeped once more. She chuckled, almost expecting Moira to text another SOS. Instead, she found a new text of the unknown number that had already texted her yesterday.

**UN:** I cannot wait to see you again.

Felicity sighed. She almost felt a little bit sorry for the person who didn’t receive these sweet texts.

**FSQ:** Sorry. You got the wrong number.

As soon as she had sent the text, Felicity let the phone slip back into her purse. With a sigh, she leaned back against the cool leather of the seat and stroked her hands up and down the bump, tracing the movements of her baby.

“Someone has woken up,” she whispered to herself and smiled. “You gotta stay quiet for a bit longer though. Mommy’s gotta go to work.”

Indeed, the baby seemed to move a little bit less. Felicity could still feel some kicks, but they were a lot softer. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought how deep the connection to her baby was already.

With a sigh, Felicity lifted her gaze. Her eyes met Adrian’s in the rearview mirror, and they smiled at each other.

“This has to be an exciting time for you.”

“Kind of, yes.” Felicity chuckled. “It’s certainly exciting for you too though, right?”

“It is,” Adrian agreed, nodding his head. “I am excited to see what this job will bring.”

Felicity smiled. “Did you learn the ropes already?”

“I am still learning them. Your mother-in-law’s property needs a lot of security, so there are a lot of ropes to learn, but it already got a lot better.”

“So you are enjoying your new job?”

“Very much, yes.” Adrian smiled at her in the mirror. “It’s a responsible position, but I work with really great people. A good team is all that matters.”

Felicity smiled, nodding her head. “I know from my own experience that that’s true. I hope you will continue to enjoy your work then.”

“Thank you.”

 

* * *

 

Turning the car into his street, Oliver glanced at his watch and sighed. He had planned on being home three hours earlier. A delayed flight and dense traffic had frustrated his plans though. Oliver could only hope that Mae was still awake now.

The thought that she would already be in bed when he came home made him scrunch up his nose slightly. He had only seen her briefly this morning when Tommy had picked her up to spend the day with her. He had hoped that he would be able to see her at least upon coming home, so he could put her to bed and kiss her goodbye.

Oliver sighed. He knew he had only been away for a day and thanks to the good flights he had booked he hadn’t even needed to stay overnight. When he had some orders for cooking out of town, he had often stayed for at least one night, but he had always called Mae to read her a bedtime story on the phone in those cases. He would have done so too if he had known that it would take him this long to get home.

Feeling a little restless, Oliver drummed his fingers onto the steering wheel. Since he had come back from the island, there hadn’t been a single day that he had let go by without spending quality time with Mae. The fact that the only interaction she had had with her today was a goodbye and a kiss she had only given him after Oliver had chased her to Tommy’s park just didn’t sit well with him, especially after the talk they had had last night.

Parking the car in the garage, Oliver took in a deep breath and rubbed his hands over his face. Whenever he was tired or exhausted like he was today, he felt old memories and old thoughts taking over his thinking. Like right now, he couldn’t help remembering how he had chosen to go to parties instead of spending time with his family when he had been in college and he couldn’t help the feeling of longing to spread in his chest. The same feeling had accompanied him every single day that he had been lost, hand in hand with the fear that he was never going to see his girls again.

With closed eyes, Oliver took in a deep breath. It helped him focusing back on where he was and shook off the feeling of loneliness of cold that had tried to embrace him.

Oliver turned off the engine. He decided to leave the small suitcase he had traveled with in the trunk and just get it tomorrow. All he wanted to do now was seeing his little girl, so he went to the house with quick steps. He unlocked the door and stepped inside the house. All lights were switched on, but there wasn’t a single noise in the entire house.

About to check whether Felicity and Mae might still be busy with Mae’s bedtime routines, Oliver hung up his keys at the key organizer and slipped out of his jacket. He had just stepped towards the foot of the stairs when quick steps could be heard upstairs. Lifting his gaze to the head of the stairs, he saw Mae standing there in her pajamas, a wide smile on her lips.

“Daddy!”

Oliver chuckled and spread his arms. Mae didn’t need any further encouragement. She ran down the stairs and just jumped into his arms. Oliver held her to him tightly, wrapping his strong arms around her small frame like he could just protect her from everything bad that could possibly happen to her.

“Hi, Sweetie.” Oliver kissed her cheek. “How was your day with Uncle Tommy?”

“Really cool.” Mae leaned back in his arms. “He helped me pulling a tooth.”

Before Oliver could ask any further questions, Mae smiled at him widely. He could see the missing tooth there and whistled appreciatively.

“Wow.”

Mae giggled. “That’s cool, right?”

Oliver just bit down on his tongue and nodded his head, trying to bite back the question of how exactly Tommy had helped her to pull that tooth. He and Tommy had been friends since they had been little kids, so they had gone through the loss of their primary teeth together. Since they had never dreaded any challenges or any pain, just being boys from the heart, they hadn’t been squeamish in the ways they had tried to pull a loose tooth.

The thought that his daughter might have tried any of those methods actually made his stomach twist. She was looking at him with so much pride in her eyes that he didn’t dare to tell her that she couldn’t pull a tooth with Uncle Tommy ever again.

“Did it hurt?”

“Just a little,” Mae replied, “and there was so much blood.”

Oliver chuckled at the excitement in her voice. He should have known that Mae didn’t fear any pain either. She took a lot after him he guessed.

“You know what you have to do with the tooth?”

“I will put it under my pillow for the tooth fairy,” Mae replied and nodded her head. “This time I will stay awake until I see her.”

“I am sure this time you will make it.”

“Do you think she looks like in _Rise of the Guardians_?”

Oliver puckered his lips. “Maybe. I don’t know, but you can tell me tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.”

With a smile, Oliver kissed Mae’s cheek before he looked at her again and perked up his eyebrows, asking, “Where’s mommy?”

“Here.”

Oliver lifted his gaze back to the head of the stairs when Mae had already stood a couple of minutes ago. Now, Felicity was standing there. She was wearing leggings and one of his large hoodies, looking completely comfortable. Her right hand was stroking over the side of the bump slowly, and Oliver was sure that she was tracing the movements of their baby.

“Okay, please tell me you are bringing Mae back upstairs because there is no way I can go downstairs and get her,” Felicity said with a sigh. “I swear if I go downstairs now, I won’t make it back up.”

“Tell her that you won’t bring me back upstairs,” Mae whispered to Oliver, smiling at him conspiratorially. “We can all watch a movie together.”

“But you wanted to see the tooth fairy,” Oliver whispered back, loud enough for Felicity to hear. “You have to lie in ambush now, or you will miss her.”

Mae pursed her lips briefly before she nodded. “Right.”

Chuckling, Oliver kissed her cheek once more and carried her upstairs. As soon as he had reached the head of the stairs, he set Mae down and told her to make sure the tooth is safe under her pillow already. He slapped her butt playfully when she started running towards her bedroom and watched her briefly.

As soon as Mae was out of sight, Oliver turned his head and stole a gentle kiss from Felicity’s lips. She released a sound of surprise, but it didn’t last long. Two seconds later, she was already wrapping her arms around his neck with a soft sigh. She responded to the kiss as her fingers stroked through the short hair at the nape of his neck slowly.

When their lips parted, Felicity arched her back. It caused her bump to press against his abs more firmly and allowed him to look at her face. The content smile he saw there made him smile too.

“How was your day?”

“Good,” Felicity replied with a sigh, “but I missed you.”

Oliver’s smile widened. He leaned back in and captured her lips in another gentle kiss. They swayed from side to side slowly, almost like they were dancing to some melody only they could hear like their heartbeats.

“I missed you too.” Oliver smiled and stroked the knuckles of his fingers over her cheek for a moment. “Are you exhausted?”

“I could very well use a massage of my feet.”

Oliver chuckled. “I was actually about to ask if you wanted me to put Mae to bed, but I guess that’s a no on that.”

“Indeed.” Felicity pecked his lips. “You could go downstairs and grab some leftovers from the fridge though. I am sure you can need something to eat. You will need your strength to be fit for that massage.”

“Leftovers,” Oliver said, trying to smile enthusiastically. “So you cooked?”

He had really tried his best to hide the fear or dislike or whatever to call it in his voice. He loved Felicity with all of her heart, but her cooking really didn’t belong to the reasons why he loved her. Even if he wouldn’t be a chef with his own restaurant, he would feel that way. Naming something Felicity had cooked food might actually be a euphemism.

Felicity had easily seen right through his try of hiding his real opinion about the prospect of eating something she had cooked though. Taking a step back from him, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and cocked her head at him.

“For someone whose baby I am carrying, you are not really nice to me,” she said, “which is a shame because I convinced Raisa to let me take the rest of her homemade lasagna for my husband.”

“Raisa’s homemade lasagna,” Oliver whispered, raising his fist in triumphant, “the best food someone who’s not me could cook.”

“Hmm.”

“You. Are. The. Best.”

Oliver emphasized every word with a kiss to her lips. Felicity tried to show no reaction, but he could see amusement sparkling in her eyes. She wasn’t really mad at him, especially because she knew very well that her cooking was horrible.

“Mommy, when are you coming?”

Felicity chuckled. “On my way.”

She slapped his chest playfully before she turned around and walked away from him. Oliver looked after her for a long moment. He waited for her to shoot a look back over her shoulder and wink at him, but she didn’t do so. Felicity seemed to feel that he was watching her though because she lifted her hand and massaged the back of her neck like she was trying to chase away the feeling of being watched.

Oliver waited until Felicity was out of sight before he went downstairs. He grabbed the plate with the rest of the lasagna from the fridge and put it into the microwave. He went back to fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. Drinking directly from the bottle, he walked towards the living room. As soon as he set a foot into the room, he stopped though as there was a monstrosity of roses in the middle of the couch table.

Putting the bottle of water away, Oliver approached the couch table. He took a closer look at the flowers, trying to find a card, but there was none. With a suspicious expression in his eyes, Oliver ogled the bouquet closely.

“They are nice, aren’t they?”

Surprised that Felicity was already back downstairs, Oliver turned around. She seemed to see the surprise in his face because she chuckled. Leaning into the frame of the door, she sighed then.

“Mae was so excited about seeing the tooth fairy that she chased me away the moment wrapped up in the blanket,” she explained before she sighed once more. A smile spread on her lips quickly though. “The roses are really nice, aren’t they?”

Oliver ran over to Felicity as quickly as he could. He let himself fall down onto his knees in front of her and wrapped his arms around her legs as tightly as he could without knocking Felicity, who was already laughing, off her feet. With a dramatic whine, he hid his face against her hip.

“Please don’t leave me,” he whined. “I swear I will be a better husband. I will enjoy all your cooking. Just please don’t leave me.”

“Oliver,” Felicity laughed, holding onto his shoulders. “What are you doing?”

“I know I have been a bad husband, but please don’t replace me. Please.”

Felicity laughed wholeheartedly. When Oliver angled his head back to look at her, he saw the amusement in her eyes. He couldn’t stop himself from giving up on pretending to cry and joining into her laughing.

“You are forgiven,” Felicity told him, still laughing, and squeezed his shoulder. “Only because you sent me those flowers though.”

Oliver frowned. He looked back over his shoulder to where Felicity was nodding to, just to make sure there wasn’t another bouquet she might refer to. Frowning slightly, he turned back around to her.

“Those flowers aren’t from me.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Sure, Mr. Secretive.”

“Felicity, I really didn’t send them,” Oliver replied with a frown and got up from the floor. “Wasn’t there a card?”

“There was, but it had no name on it,” Felicity replied. “I thought it was from you.”

“No,” Oliver replied, shaking his head and wrapped his arms around Felicity’s waist loosely, “because I know that your favorite flowers are white lilies. If I had sent you flowered, I would have sent you white lilies.”

Pulling Felicity closer against his chest, Oliver shot another look back over his shoulder at the bouquet. Someone must have spent a lot of money on the flowers.

“Well, I guess someone must have sent them to the wrong address,” Felicity said with a sigh.

“Or you just have a secret suitor.”

“Oh yes, because I am so admirable right now.”

Felicity rubbed her hand over her baby bump and rolled with her eyes. Oliver only brushed his lips against hers, laced his fingers with hers and led her to the couch though. He sat down and pulled her into his lap, holding her in his arms and smiling at her.

“For me, you are always the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“You are my husband, you are obligated to say that.”

Oliver chuckled. “Maybe, but I am also very much biased because I am very much in love with you.”

Felicity smiled. “I know.”

Slowly, Oliver leaned down and brushed his lips against Felicity’s once more. She sighed against his lips, lifting her hands to frame his face with her fingers. She scratched her fingernails through his short stubble lightly in the way Oliver loved so much, and it made him tighten his arms around her just a little bit more.

When their lips parted, he glanced at the bouquet of flowers once more. With a grin on his lips, he looked back at Felicity then.

“First you get a sweet text. Now you get flowers,” he said with a sigh. “I guess I should really up my game a little.”

“Oh, yes,” Felicity agreed. “I mean I have bought such nice men’s toys today, and now I really don’t know if I want to show them to you.”

Oliver gasped for breath. “Men’s toys. You bought lingerie.”

“Yes.”

“I wanna see,” he said immediately. “Please. Please. Please. Please.”

Felicity puckered her lips. She shot a pointed glance towards the bouquet and sighed dramatically.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe I should save the lingerie for Antonio.”

“Antonio?”

“My Spanish lover.”

She emphasized the words in a way that made Oliver chuckle. Puckering his lips, he lowered his head until his lips hovered right over hers. Without closing the distance, he stayed like that. He could see Felicity holding her breath and waiting for him to kiss her. Instead of doing so, he just waited though.

Only when the anticipation of tasting her grew too much for him to take, he finally closed the distance. His lips brushed against Felicity’s softly in a featherlight kiss before he pressed down just a little bit more firmly. Felicity sighed against his lips, opening herself to him. Oliver didn’t waste a second. He stroked his tongue into her mouth, tasting her, and moaned at the sweet taste.

He barely remembered a time that he hadn’t known what kissing Felicity felt like. Thinking about it now, he had no idea how he had ever lived without that feeling.

As their lips parted now, Oliver pulled back enough to look at Felicity. She kept her eyes closed for a moment longer before she opened them. There was a hazy expression in her eyes like she was still dreaming a little bit. A deep sigh escaped her lips eventually.

“I love you,” Oliver whispered.

“I love you too.” With a smile on her lips, Felicity patted his chest right over his heart and sighed. “You are a good husband. You will see the lingerie soon.”

Oliver chuckled and kissed her once more. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” Felicity replied and chuckled, but it turned into a frown quickly. “Don’t you have lasagna in the microwave?”

“Who needs lasagna when I got you?”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows. The corners of her lips were twitching into a smile while her fingers were spreading on his chest right over his heart. The warmth of her skin seemed to reach right into his heart.

He knew that Felicity was tempted to say it was just his way of getting back into her good graces. She didn’t say it though. Hence, he didn’t tell her that he meant every word of it either.

 

* * *

 

“Next time I will make it,” Mae said with conviction. “Really, mommy.”

“I believe you,” Felicity said with a chuckle, lifting her hands in a gesture of innocence. “At least you got your money, right?”

“I got fifty dollars, mommy.”

Felicity released a little grumble, shooting a look at where Oliver was preparing their breakfast. She was sure that he noticed her gaze and was just ignoring her.

“The tooth fairy was really generous right.”

Only now Oliver shot a look back over his shoulder at her. He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, pressing his lips together firmly.

“Maybe the tooth fairy had just fifty-dollar notes left.”

In a brief moment that Mae was distracted by the cream topping on her hot chocolate, Felicity stuck out her tongue to Oliver. He tried to roll his eyes at her, but a chuckle got in between. Shaking his head, he turned back to the stove and filled the scrambled eggs into a bowl eventually.

“Breakfast is ready,” he said.

“Finally.” Mae released a desperate sigh. “I am so hungry, daddy.”

“Aw, poor baby.”

Oliver put the bowl of scrambled eggs onto the table where all the other ingredients for their breakfast had already been placed. He tousled Mae’s hair briefly and kissed the top of her head. With a smile, he sat down on the free chair and gestured for Mae and Felicity to start.

Felicity had noticed a long time ago that Oliver always let her and Mae take food first. The first time after he had come back from his one year away, she knew it had been a result of being unsure what to eat. After a year of constantly feeling like he was on the edge of starving to death, the many options of food that had been offered to him here had been too much for him.

His hesitation now had other reasons though. He needed to make sure Felicity and Mae had enough to eat before he could eat. Felicity had talked to him about that years ago already. She knew that Oliver wasn’t oblivious to this behavior. Rationally, he even knew that it was unnecessary. He just couldn’t stop himself from it, and Felicity didn’t push.

“Mommy, will we go see Grandpa Robert today?”

“Not today, no,” Felicity replied, shaking her head. “I thought we will go visit him on Monday.”

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. “Mommy’s right. I am going to pick you up from school. Then we will go pick up mommy from work and all go to Granny’s mansion together. Raisa’s going to cook for us, and we will all have lunch together.”

“With Granny and Grandpa Walter?”

“With Granny and Grandpa Walter,” Felicity confirmed, nodding her head. “Is that okay?”

Mae nodded. “Sure.”

Smiling, Felicity took a fork of the scrambled eggs. She closed her eyes at the delicious taste, releasing a sigh of contentedness. The breakfast at the hotel in Gotham had been good. It had even received good reviews on its website. It couldn’t compare to Oliver’s cooking though.

When she opened her eyes, she found Oliver’s eyes on her face. There was a hidden smile on his face. It sparkled in his eyes and showed in the way the corners of his lips twitched. Felicity was almost sure that he was thinking about how she had made the same sounds last night after he had carried her to bed. The thought made her blush and lower her eyes quickly.

“When are we going to see Granny Donna and Grandpa Quentin again?”

“Soon,” Oliver promised, “but you will still have to wait a little.”

“It’s going to be before you will meet your baby sibling.”

Mae nodded slowly before she turned to Oliver, asking, “Daddy, is the baby going to be a boy or a girl?”

Felicity bit back a chuckle. Last night, Mae had asked her about this already, and it hadn’t even been the first time. Since Mae knew that there was a baby on the way, she had asked again and again whether it was going to be a girl or a boy. Usually, she switched between asking Oliver and asking Felicity.

“I can’t tell you, Mae,” Oliver replied, “because I don’t know.”

Mae released a long groan. She rested her head on her hand, pushing her bottom lip forward.

“If someone knows,” Oliver added, “it’s going to be me though.”

“Because mommy and Granny Donna knew that I was a girl before you knew?”

“Exactly.”

With a chuckle, Oliver tapped his forefinger against the tip of Mae’s nose. She giggled, shaking her head. Her blonde curls fell into her face.

Felicity pulled her bottom lip between her front teeth, trying block out the bitter feeling on her tongue. Going to that appointment with the OBGYN without Oliver and letting the doctor tell her that they were expecting a girl. She had just been relieved about her mother’s support in the situation because she hadn’t necessarily expected that. It hadn’t been fair though.

When she felt something stroking up and down her calf, Felicity lifted her eyes. Oliver was talking to Mae, but Felicity could see under the tablet that his foot was brushing against her calf gently. She guessed he had noticed that she had still been thinking about his words.

Felicity brushed her fingers against Oliver’s hand briefly before she pushed another fork of scrambled eggs into her mouth. When his eyes met hers a moment later, she saw the wordless question if she was alright. Felicity smiled at him, responding with just as little words that she was alright.

They continued chatting while they were having their breakfast. Saturday mornings were always spent like this in the Smoak-Queen family. Their mornings on weekdays were busy. Felicity had to leave early for work, and Oliver had to drag Mae out of bed to get her o school in time. Their girl wasn’t a morning person, just like her mother, so they always took the time for a late family breakfast on a Saturday.

Mae had just stuffed the rest of her pancake into her mouth when the barking of the neighbors’ dog attracted their attention.

“Hey, Mae,” Oliver said, poking his finger against her ribs teasingly, “the postman is probably coming. Go and check if granny and grandpa sent you another postcard from their cruise.”

“Oh yes!”

Mae got up and quickly ran outside. Felicity looked after her with a smile. She loved receiving postcards, so she actually enjoyed that Donna and Quentin were cruising around the world thanks to a travel that Moira had organized and bought for them. She would still beyond happy when there were going to come back.

“You okay?”

Felicity looked at Oliver whose eyes were already on her. Worry sparkled in his eyes, so Felicity put on a soft smile. She laced her fingers with him and sighed.

“Yes,” she replied eventually. “I’m fine. I was just wondering if you actually wanted to know if the baby was going to be a boy or a girl. We always joke about it, but I don’t think we ever really talked about whether we want to know.”

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. “I thought we could leave some surprises, so there is a little bit more excitement.”

Felicity chuckled. “Because the pregnancy was so boring, hm?”

“Hey, compared to the pregnancy with Mae, it was.”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows. “You’d rather have a pregnancy like the one with Mae again? A pregnancy with secrets and chaos and breakups and God knows what else?”

Oliver pursed his lips. “I was mostly thinking about breaking Max Fuller’s nose to be honest.”

As much as she should tell him not to say things like that, Felicity couldn’t stop herself from chuckling. She still remembered the shocking moment Oliver had attacked Max Fuller in the library of their high school and told everyone that he was her baby’s father. As shocking as that had been, there was some gratification in knowing that Oliver had broken Fuller’s nose. He had deserved it.

“So we let ourselves be surprised?”

Oliver nodded. “I think so. I am in for any surprise.”

Felicity released a low grumble. “Don’t jinx it.”

Chuckling, Oliver leaned closer to her and squeezed her hand. “Honestly, there is no surprise and no struggle life could throw at us that we wouldn’t be able to manage. We are just readier than we were the first time around.”

“Yeah.” Felicity smiled and brushed her lips against Oliver’s gently. When she pulled back, she slapped his chest though. “Don’t jinx it. Really.”

Taking their plates, she got up and put them into the sink. Through the window, she could see Mae standing at the garden gate and talking to Adrian.

“Adrian Chase is here.”

“Who?”

“Your mother’s new head of security.”

“Oh right.” Oliver frowned. “Is he picking you up? Do you have to work today?”

“No, of course not,” Felicity replied. “I have no idea what he’s doing there.”

She watched Adrian stepping into the garden and taking a package from Mae. She smiled at him for a moment before she ran towards the house. Adrian looked around briefly. When his eyes met Felicity’s, he nodded towards her and Felicity smiled in response. She beckoned for him to come inside and watched him walk to the house.

“Daddy!” Mae shouted out, just running into the kitchen. “I got a postcard from Vienna.”

Oliver was about to snatch it from her fingers, but Mae noticed it just soon enough. She pulled the postcard to her chest, shooting her father a mocking glare.

“How many postcards you have now?” Felicity asked. “Fifteen?”

“I don’t know,” Mae said after a moment of thinking about it. “I will go upstairs, pin this one to my map and count them.”

Without another word, she turned around on the balls of her heels and ran upstairs. Felicity chuckled, shaking her head. Their daughter was just a little whirlwind of a girl, but she didn’t want to have it any other way.

When Adrian stepped into the kitchen a moment later, clearing his throat, Felicity looked at him with a warm smile.

“Adrian,” she said. “Good morning. Did I miss an appointment or something?”

“No, not at all,” Adrian replied. “I am very sorry to bother you at a weekend, Mrs. Smoak-Queen, but-“

“Oh, please just call me Felicity,” she replied with a chuckle. “Honestly, whenever I hear someone calling me Mrs. Smoak Queen, I think I am a weird mixture of my mother and my mother-in-law which would probably mean that I am schizophrenic because they just can’t be in the same body and-“

“Felicity.”

Oliver’s whisper snapped her out of her ramble before it could grow too much. She felt herself blush and quickly looked back at Adrian again, smiling artificially.

“What can we do for you, Adrian?”

“Your mother-in-law asked me to bring you this for your early appointment Monday morning,” Adrian said, handing her a file. “And this was just delivered for you when I arrived.”

Felicity put the file that she had probably forgotten to take with her before she had headed to Gotham away and grabbed the small package instead.

“Did you order something?” Oliver asked, clearing the table.

“No.”

Felicity already grabbed the scissor to open the package when Adrian cleared his throat once more.

“I don’t want to bother any longer,” he said gesturing back over his shoulder. “I see myself out.”

“Thank you, Adrian,” Felicity said. “Have a nice day.”

“You too.”

Once Adrian had left, Felicity opened the package and grabbed the letter she found on the silken cloth beneath. Her eyes glanced towards Oliver, checking for his reaction, but he pretended to be innocent. Felicity bit down on her tongue. If he wanted to be secretive, she would leave that to him.

“Oh, a card.”

Felicity shot another look at Oliver, but he just perked up his eyebrows. Felicity did her best not to roll her eyes though an amused smile spread on her lips anyway. Oliver loved surprising her, and he was actually quite good at it.

“My dearest Felicity,” she read out, “I know you want this, and you should have all the pretty things in the world. I can offer them.”

Wiggling with her eyebrows, Felicity lifted the silken cloth and gasped for breath at what she saw under it. Smiling, she let her fingers brush over the fine, red lace. Laurel must have told Oliver that she had loved this set of lingerie and just hadn’t bought it. She had no idea how he had managed to have it being delivered so quickly, but Felicity guessed she just shouldn’t be surprised.

Felicity lifted the bra from the box and held it out in front of her, turning to Oliver.

“Thank God Adrian decided to leave already, or this might have turned a little embarrassing.”

Letting the fridge fall shut, Oliver sucked in a deep breath and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He didn’t look amused at all. There was much more like a mixture of anger and worry playing on his face.

“I didn’t send them.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Who else would? My secret suitor that texts me and sends me flowers and now a set of lingerie that I actually had an eye on?”

“I don’t know, but it wasn’t me.”

Felicity waited for Oliver to say something or do something that would prove that he was just fooling around with her, but he didn’t.

“This is not funny,” Felicity said firmly. “Oliver, if you sent them-”

“I didn’t,” Oliver said with emphasis. “Felicity, whoever sent this, it wasn’t me.”

It took Felicity a beat to realize that Oliver was absolutely serious about this. He hadn’t been the one who had sent this lingerie to her. He had absolutely nothing to do with it.

Felicity dropped the lacey fabric to the floor, almost like she had burnt her fingers at them. She took several steps back, trying to bring as much distance between her and the lingerie at possible. The sight of it alone made an unpleasant shiver run down her back now.

This couldn’t mean anything good.


	3. Chapter 3

Holding his breath, Oliver looked at the lace on the kitchen floor. For a brief moment, his view blurred. The red lace turned into a puddle of blood right in front of his eyes, looking like the remnant of a massacre that had never happened.

Oliver had to blink several times to make it go away and see what was real. Surprisingly, the red lace didn’t look any less threatening than the blood though.

To say Oliver was worried about this gift was an understatement. The fact that someone had sent Felicity lingerie, a set of lingerie she had actually seemed to hadve had an eye on already, was suspicious. If this wasn’t a really weird coincidence, it meant that someone had watched her while she had been shopping with Laurel. Since the card left no doubt that the gift had been meant for Felicity, there was no chance that this was a mistake and it had been meant for someone else.

Oliver’s stomach twisted painfully. So far, they had believed that the flowers and the text Felicity had received on Thursday had been a mistake. What if they had been wrong, and those had just been the start of whatever was happening here?

His thumb rubbed against the tips of his fingers nervously and his chest tightened, making it almost impossible to breathe. He had never been able to handle the thought that something could happen to his family well. Right now, although nothing too bad had happened, a bad feeling settled in his chest already.

“This is creepy, right?”

Oliver lifted his gaze from the lingerie and looked at Felicity. She had her arms wrapped around her tightly like she was trying keep herself from falling apart. Her face was all white, and she trembled slightly. She looked utterly shaken, her empty eyes focused on the lingerie on the floor.

Finally, Oliver managed to break out of his rigidity. Sucking in a breath, he crossed the distance to Felicity. He put his hand to Felicity’s cheek, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. She didn’t react though. She just continued staring at the lingerie on the floor with empty eyes, unable to look away.

“Hey,” Oliver whispered, applying just a little pressure on her cheek until she turned her head and looked at him. She had to blink twice before he gaze really focus on him. “You have to sit down.”

He urged her back gently until she could sit down on one of the kitchen chairs. Felicity closed her eyes, releasing a deep breath. She let her head fall forward until her chin rested on her chest and squeezed her eyes shut even more tightly almost like she was feeling dizzy or nauseous. Her hands moved over her bump like she was trying to make sure that the baby was alright.

“It’s okay,” Oliver whispered, kneeling in front of Felicity. He rubbed his hand over her thigh soothingly. “It’s okay. I am here. Nothing happened. Everything’s alright.”

He knew it wasn’t exactly true. Maybe nothing has really happened, but that didn’t mean that everything was alright. Something like this, a gift like that from someone anonymous, was most definitely not alright.

“Can I leave you alone for two minutes?” he asked. “Maybe I can catch Adrian before he leaves. He should be informed about this because he will definitely know what to do. He can help us.”

Felicity nodded her head, but her eyes were still squeezed shut. She took deep breaths, holding onto his hand so tightly that he doubted he could get it out her hand even if he tried to. She looked like she was trying to stop herself from throwing up or even passing out.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I can-“

“No, it’s fine,” Felicity said quickly. Sucking in a trembling breath, she straightened her shoulders and opened her eyes. She nodded, repeating, “It’s fine. Go.”

Oliver waited another two seconds, making sure Felicity really was alright. There was fear, but there no doubt in her eyes though. Nodding his head, he got back up. He squeezed her hand comfortingly and kissed the crown of her head before he let go of her.

As quickly as he could, he ran towards the door and through the garden. Without hesitation, he jumped over the front garden fence. Standing on the sidewalk, he took a look around. It took him a moment before he saw the black limousine his mother usually used, and he sent a quick prayer of thanks to heaven that Adrian Chase hadn’t left yet.

“Adrian!”

While Oliver was running towards the car, Adrian Chase got out from the driver’s seat with a deep frown on his forehead.

“What happened?” he asked. “Something wrong?”

“We need your help.”

Without asking any further questions, Adrian hurried in Oliver’s direction, his hand already on the gun. As soon as Adrian was in reach, Oliver turned around and with quick steps they both went back to the house. Oliver told Adrian what had just happened and how she had been sent a text message and roses too, they were concerned. Adrian just nodded.

Back in the kitchen, Oliver rushed to Felicity’s side. He sat down on the chair next to her, rubbing one hand over her back soothingly. He leaned over and kissed the shell of her ear, whispering that it was all going to be okay again.

Maybe he was whispering it more to himself than to her though because a part of him needed this reassurance too.

Oliver lowered his nose to the crown of Felicity’s head to breathe her in once more before he took in a deep breath and got up again. He stayed standing behind Felicity, pulling at her shoulders until she rested back against him. She leaned her head against his stomach, and Oliver stroked his hand over her hair gently. His eyes were watching Adrian though.

“What do you think?”

Adrian picked up the bra and let it drop back into the box it had come in. He closed the box and took a look at the package then.

“That’s a lucrative boutique.”

Felicity nodded. “Laurel and I have been there yesterday before you picked me up to go to work.”

Adrian nodded. “Would you mind if I take this with me?”

“No.” Felicity grabbed Oliver’s hand on her shoulder and held onto it. “Take it. Trash it. Burn it. I don’t care.”

“I will check if maybe there is a way for me to find out who sent this to you,” he said. “Oliver mentioned there were already flowers and a text?”

Felicity took in a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Oliver kissed the crown of her head, squeezing her shoulder. It was the only way he felt he could support her. He felt incredibly helpless.

“Yes, I received a text Thursday night, saying ‘I miss you’,” Felicity said, nodding her head, “and I received another one yesterday.”

Oliver frowned. “What?”

Felicity looked back at him over her shoulder, frowning. “I forgot to tell you. I was- I thought it was nothing.”

“It’s fine,” Oliver whispered as he hadn’t meant to make her feel reproached in the first place. “What did it say?”

“‘I cannot wait to see you again’ I think.”

“When exactly was that?” Adrian asked.

“Right before you picked me up,” Felicity said. “No, wait, it was exactly when you picked me up. The car was just starting to move when I received the text.”

Oliver felt his chest tightening even more, and he had trouble not to let the tension float into his hand and squeeze Felicity’s shoulder as tightly as his fingers were itching to. He was sure they would dig into her skin so deep that it would leave bruises.

“Whoever this was watched her, right?”

Felicity frowned with worry. She shot Oliver a brief glance before she looked at Adrian, just like Oliver already did. He saw his mother’s new head of security struggled to answer for a moment. He looked like he wanted to say one thing and felt like he should another thing at the same time.

“I cannot say that with certainty yet.”

“But you think he did?”

“It’s possible.”

Adrian didn’t seem to be happy with his own answer. It was the only reason why Oliver let him get away with it. As much as he wanted to hear the blunt truth, he didn’t necessarily want Felicity to hear it.

“Okay, let’s get back to the flowers and the texts for a second,” Adrian suggested. “Who brought the flowers?”

“A delivery service.”

“And there was no card?”

Felicity shook her head. “No, I thought they were from Oliver. Then I thought they were-“

When Felicity stopped, Oliver frowned. He squeezed her shoulder once more, calling for her attention.

“What’s wrong?”

“The man from the flower delivery knew my name,” Felicity said. “He explicitly addressed me with Mrs. Smoak-Queen when he gave me the flowers.”

“So they have been meant for you from the start,” Adrian concluded, nodding his head. “Do you remember the name of the service?”

“Flower Sense.”

Adrian nodded. “Okay, I need the number this text messages came from. If we can track one of those hints back to this guy, we can make this stop. The sooner, the better.”

Oliver narrowed his eyes slightly. “How bad do you think this is?”

Adrian tapped his fingers against the box with the unwanted gift briefly before he sighed. Lowering his eyes for a moment, he shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” he admitted eventually. “This can be anything between a stupid prank and a bigger problem. As long as we don’t know what it is, I suggest we take safety measures, but we see this relaxed. There is no reason to freak out yet, and I will make sure there won’t be any in the future either.”

Oliver nodded his head slowly. He wasn’t sure if he was completely satisfied with this answer, but he knew Adrian was probably right. After everything he and Felicity had been through, Oliver was almost like conditioned on always thinking of the worst.

“I will make a few phone calls,” Adrian said. “I’ll be right back.”

As soon as Adrian was gone, Oliver crouched down next to Felicity once more. Her face was still pale, and her bottom lip was trembling slightly. Oliver poured her a glass or homemade orange juice and handed it to her.

“You should drink something.”

Felicity nodded. Her hand was shaking slightly when she took the glass from him and took a few nips. Putting the glass back to the table, she released a long breath and turned towards Oliver.

“I’m sorry.”

Oliver frowned. “For what?”

“For freaking out like this,” Felicity replied. “I don’t know why I am making such a big deal of this. I mean it’s just-“

“Hey,” Oliver interrupted her softly, shaking his head. He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed her hands. “There is nothing to apologize for. I am worried by this too. Like Adrian said, this can be anything. Let’s better take this seriously early before something happens.”

“It’s probably just a prank though. Someone just thinks it’s funny to mess with us.”

“Probably.” Oliver nodded slowly. “It doesn’t hurt to make sure that’s really what’s happening here though. It’s only been three days, and you already got two texts, a bouquet of flowers and lingerie. I don’t want to take this too lightly though I do agree with you. It’s probably nothing.”

With another deep sigh, Felicity propped up her head on top of her hand and looked at Oliver. Her hand just stroked up and down his forearm for a long moment. She looked tired and exhausted like all she needed was to lie down for a hundred years and just sleep until some prince would wake her up with a kiss.

After a while, the corners of her lips started twitching slightly.

“Are you sure you didn’t send the lingerie to make the pregnancy just a little more exciting?”

Oliver chuckled half-heartedly. He wasn’t really ready to make jokes about it yet, and he doubted Felicity was ready either. If she tried to lighten the mood, even if it was just to cover her insecurity right now, he would accept that though.

“Unfortunately, I am,” Oliver said. “I might have jinxed it though.”

Felicity nodded slowly. She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, letting her fingers stroke through his short stubble. Oliver sighed, leaning his face into her touch and closing his eyes for a moment. He didn’t blame himself for what was happening because he knew it wasn’t his fault. If he was blaming himself right now for jinxing it, he knew that her touch would take away a lot of the blame already. Right now, it just made him feel better.

“It’s all going to be alright again, right?”

Oliver opened his eyes, looking at Felicity. She was looking for reassurance. He could see it in her eyes. There was nothing he wanted more than to reassure her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, so he nodded his head.

“Of course it is.”

Getting up, he leaned in and brushed his lips against Felicity’s in a gentle kiss. She sighed, holding his face a little more tightly and deepening the kiss. Her tongue stroked against his, and Oliver could almost feel her melting against his chest, seeking the warmth of his body and the comfort of his embrace it seemed.

The last twenty minutes might have been crazy and filled with fear or at least worry. Right now, Oliver felt himself calming down a lot though. Felicity was safe in his arms, and with their love and support they would stand through whatever would happen now. Maybe with Adrian’s help, there wouldn’t even happen anything more.

“I have eighteen!”

Oliver broke the kiss quickly and turned to see Mae running into the kitchen. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Felicity rubbing her hand over her face, so he glanced back at her briefly. Only when she smiled at him, he let go of her hands and looked at Mae with perked up eyebrows.

“Eighteen what?”

“Eighteen postcards.”

“Oh, right,” Oliver replied. “That’s cool. Let’s hope granny and grandpa will send at least two more, so you have twenty.”

“I want at least a hundred.”

Oliver chuckled. “Granny and grandpa have to travel around the world for the rest of their lives in that case I guess. Not that they would mind.”

“I want to travel around the world when I am older.”

“You will,” Oliver promised her, stroking his hand over her hair. “Then you can send mommy and me all the postcards.”

“I won’t have time to write postcards, Daddy.”

Oliver put his hands to his heart in a dramatic gesture. “That’s like an arrow through my heart. My baby girl doesn’t have time to even just write a postcard to me while she is traveling the world.”

“Daddy, I am not even going to be your baby girl anymore,” Mae told him. “I’m going to be an adult.”

“Let’s better change the subject because you are only making it worse,” Oliver said and tickled Mae’s ribs briefly. “Do you want to watch a movie or a lot of movies?”

“Can I?”

Oliver shot a look back at Felicity. Only when she nodded, he nodded too.

“Yes,” Oliver replied. “Why don’t you go into the living room and check what movies you want to watch already? Mommy and I will be with you in five minutes. I think we could all use a good movie day.”

“Cool!”

Excited about the prospect to spend the day in front of the TV, Mae ran into the living room. Oliver watched her briefly before he turned to Felicity.

“I guess it’s better not to tell her anything yet.”

Felicity nodded firmly. “Of course. We don’t know if there is anything worth telling anyway.”

“Exactly,” Oliver agreed. “A movie day will distract her, and we can spend the day in our home where nobody sees us. Maybe it doesn’t hurt to shut out the world for a day.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Oliver smiled and leaned down to peck Felicity’s lips. “That is what I thought.”

 

* * *

 

“Have a nice day, Mrs. Smoak-Queen.”

“You too, Gerry.”

Felicity smiled at her assistant when she went past his desk. Pushing the button to call the elevator, she pulled her phone out of her purse and checked for any new texts. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she couldn’t deny that there was a bit of relief spreading in her chest when she was that she hadn’t received anything.

When the elevator doors opened, Felicity took in a deep breath and stepped inside the cab. She pushed the button for the ground floor and waited until the doors closed again. Only now she typed a quick text for Oliver.

**FSQ:** I’m leaving QC now. I’ll be at the mansion in 20 minutes.

While the elevator took her down to the lobby, Felicity held onto her phone tightly and stroked her free hand over her bump. The baby was quiet today. He was probably sleepy after all the trouble she had put him through during the weekend. She was sure he had felt how unsettled she had been.

The elevator doors opened downstairs. Felicity stepped out and crossed the spacious lobby towards the doors. She tried not to let show that the thought of stepping out of this building where she was well-protected actually unsettled her a little.

Straightening her shoulders, Felicity pushed that thought away. Since she had received that unwanted gift Saturday morning, nothing more had happened. There had been no more texts, no more flowers and no more gifts. Everything had stayed calm. Felicity guessed that proved that it had all just been a prank.

Still, Felicity wasn’t able to shake the feeling of nervousness and unsafety. Whenever she left the privacy of her home or the safety of Queen Consolidated, she felt watched now. Her heckles rose and an uncomfortable shiver ran down her back. She knew in the back of her mind that there was probably no good reason for that, but she just couldn’t be rational.

Just when Felicity had stepped outside, her phone vibrated. She squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. She hoped it was a coincident that she had received a text the moment she had left the building. Yet, it caused her a lot of overcoming to check the display of her phone.

**OSQ:** I need 30 minutes here. I’ll hurry up. Everything alright?

Felicity released a breath of relief, chuckling about herself with a shake of her head. It had been stupid. She should follow Adrian Chase’s advice and not let herself get crazy over what had happened. Nothing serious had happened yet after all, and with Adrian’s help nothing would happen now either.

**FSQ:** Nothing new. I’m just jumpy. Love you.

Just as Felicity had sent the message, her phone vibrated once more. She saw the photo she had taken of Oliver during their honeymoon while in Bali and never changed as his contact photo because Oliver looked so peaceful in this moment.

“Hey.” Felicity voice was low when she answered the call. “There was no need to call.”

“You texted that you were jumpy,” Oliver replied, his voice oh so soft, “so I wanted to make sure that you really are okay.”

“I am fine,” Felicity assured him. “I am just waiting for Adrian to pick me up, so we can go to the mansion.”

“Did you ask him to meet you in the underground parking?”

“No.”

“Why?” Oliver asked. “Felicity, if you-“

“If I continue avoiding going outside where anyone sees me, then it will be impossible to do so later,” she explained. “I just have to stand here for three minutes until he comes to pick me up. It’s fine, Oliver, really.”

Oliver didn’t reply. He just let out a long breath that showed how unsafe he really felt too. He was trying to hide it from her, so she could lean on him instead of feeling like she had him to worry about. Felicity knew that, and she also knew there was nothing she could say or do that would convince Oliver that he didn’t have to be her big, strong protector.

That Adrian Chase had actually, professionally, taken on the task of being her big, strong protector didn’t matter to Oliver. The fact that Moira had decided that Felicity needed advanced security more than she herself did had only seemed to confirm Oliver’s fear that there was something to worry about. When he worried, Felicity worried too.

It was a vicious cycle. They couldn’t say whose worry had come first or whose worry was worse. All they knew was that as long as one of them felt unsafe, they both would.

“How are things going at the restaurant?” Felicity asked eventually, changing the subject not so subtly. “Is everything wrapped up and taken care of before your break?”

“Yes, it’s going great,” Oliver replied. “I just need another twenty to thirty minutes.”

“That’s fine,” Felicity told him. “Mae and I will just go and visit your father’s grave already. I guess you’d like to be alone with him after lunch.”

There was a brief moment of pause before Oliver replied, “Yes, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Felicity smiled to herself. She knew Oliver better than anyone else did. Sometimes Oliver even said that he felt like she knew him even better than he knew himself.

“We should hang up now,” Felicity suggested.

“We don’t have to.”

Felicity’s smile widened. Just like she knew Oliver better than anyone else, he knew her better than anyone else too. He had heard the reluctance in her voice although she had really tried to hide it.

“I need to overcome this feeling of unsafety, so we need to hang up,” Felicity said. “I will call you back the moment I feel this is too much.”

Oliver hummed for a moment, voicing his reluctance without saying a word, before he said, “I hate to feel like I am only increasing your worry, but I am so worried.”

“I know,” Felicity whispered. “We just need to push past this.”

“Yeah.” Oliver sighed. “I will keep my phone in my hand. If anything is going on-“

“I will call you,” Felicity promised. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The moment Felicity hung up the phone, she turned around. She had wanted to look out for Adrian, who was currently picking up Mae from school. The moment she had turned around, she had bumped into someone though.

“I am so sorry,” she hurried to say. “I didn’t see you. I mean, obviously I didn’t because otherwise I would have-“

“Felicity?”

Only now Felicity lifted her gaze and was surprised to look into a weirdly familiar pair of green eyes. She frowned slightly, unsure who this was. As soon as she focused on the entire face and saw the edgy jaw as well as the brown hair, there was a little bell ringing in her head.

“Cooper?”

“Yes,” Cooper replied with a chuckle. “Oh my god. How long haven’t we see each other?”

Felicity didn’t have to think about it for long. “Ten years. I mean we haven’t seen each other since I moved to Starling.”

“That’s probably right.”

It was right. Felicity didn’t have any doubt about it. She actually remembered very clearly how she had broken up with Cooper only shortly before she had moved to Starling with her mother. For weeks, they had said they were just going to go long-distance. The closer they had gotten to the point of saying goodbye, the more clearly Felicity had been able to see that she really didn’t want to have a long-distance relationship. At least she hadn’t wanted one with Cooper.

Felicity bit down on her tongue, not saying a word. Cooper had been her first boyfriend, and he had been a great first boyfriend. She had felt so comfortable with him. They had shared the same interests. Computers had been their mutual hobby, the thing that had connected them. There had just been a part of her that had known that their relationship wouldn’t have lasted although she really couldn’t have said why at that point which had made the breakup even harder for both of them.

Looking back, she knew that she had been absolutely right. As soon as she had run into Oliver during her internship at Queen Consolidated, she had fallen for him. Maybe she hadn’t been able to admit it to herself from the start, but she had just been charmed by him. No feeling sorry about the end of her relationship with Cooper had kept her from falling for Oliver, and not still going relationship with Cooper could have stopped her from falling for Oliver. With him, she had just felt so much safer and so much more comfortable than she had ever had before with any other guy. It was why she had slept with Oliver and only Oliver in her entire life.

“I am so happy to see you again after all this time,” Cooper said. “I had no idea you were still living in Starling City. You always said, you’d move away as soon as you graduated high school.”

Felicity lowered her eyes for a moment. She remembered very well that, before she had moved to Starling so her mother could live with the man she wanted to get married to, she had always said that she wanted to escape Starling City as quickly as she could. She had felt like moving here had been the punishment for a sin she hadn’t known she had committed or something.

The truth was that Starling had felt like a home to her very quickly. She had felt comfortable with the Lances. She had appreciated the school program here. Her internship at Queen Consolidated had been like a dream come true. Everything here, first and foremost Oliver of course, had charmed her more than Felicity thought it would.

“I did leave Starling to study at MIT.”

“That’s always been your dream.”

“Yeah.” Felicity smiled, nodding her head. “What are you doing here though?”

“I am working for LexCorp and came here to score a deal with Kord Industries,” Cooper replied and leaned a little bit closer in. “I succeeded.”

“I wouldn’t have doubted that.” Felicity chuckled and looked him up and down. “Well, that appointment at least explains the suit. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“And what are you doing now?” Cooper asked, shooting a look at the large emblem on the building. “Are you working for Queen Consolidated?”

“Yeah, I am their CEO.”

Cooper blew out an appreciative whistle. “I always knew that you were meant for something great, but even I didn’t think you’d manage this greatness at the age of only twenty-six and you managed that despite-”

When Cooper didn’t continue, Felicity just perked up her eyebrows. She wasn’t sure if he just didn’t find the words to express what he meant or if he was unsure whether he should say anything at all. Eventually, he gestured around her middle and Felicity had to actually lower her eyes to realize that he was pointing at her bump.

She chuckled. “Despite being pregnant?”

“Yeah.” Cooper massaged the back of his neck almost like he knew already that it wasn’t a particularly nice thing to say. “I mean you always said that you wanted more out of life than being a mother.”

Felicity smiled sadly, nodding her head. She had said something like that because there had been a time when she had thought that it was either family or career. Her mother had fallen in love and started a family. Eight years later, when Felicity’s father had left, she had stood there with no job and no money, being forced to work as a lightly clad waitress in a Las Vegas casino and turning every penny twice at the end of the month.

“I changed my mind on that,” Felicity said, letting out a deep breath. “I just figured out it’s not an either-or.”

Cooper perked up his eyebrows with surprise. “So you are trying to have both? A family and a career?”

“I actually already have both,” Felicity replied with a warm smile and stroked her hand over her bump. “I have been married for the past two years, and my daughter is already eight years old. This little nugget here is going to be added in a couple of weeks.”

“Eight years old?” Cooper asked. “So, she’s your stepchild?”

“No.” Felicity shook her head with a chuckle. She was used to that reaction, and she had long ago started accepting it with a little bit of amusement rather than annoyance. “I got pregnant in high school.”

“Wow.”

“Didn’t you read any gossip magazines?” Felicity asked. “They were full of photos of me and stories that were made up about the situation.”

“I don’t really read gossip magazines,” Cooper replied. “It’s not my style.”

“That’s true.” Felicity smiled. “You know, it’s really good seeing you again and-“

“Mrs. Smoak-Queen?”

At the sound of her name, Felicity turned around. Adrian was standing a couple of feet behind her. He was smiling at her politely, but his eyes glanced towards Cooper occasionally, scrutinizing him. The black limousine was parking at the roadside.

“Just one second, Adrian,” Felicity asked.

When she turned back around to Cooper, he was grinning at her, asking, “Mrs. Smoak-Queen?”

“Yeah.” Felicity chuckled. “My husband likes the sound of our names together, so we decided to both take on each other’s name. Mae, my daughter, loves drawing a cloud of smoke with a crown on it as a visualization for the name. Smoak-Queen like the queen of smokes.”

“Queen as in-“

“Queen Consolidated,” Felicity replied, nodding her head. “Yeah.”

Cooper nodded his head slowly. “Seems like you hit the jackpot. I mean, apart from the whole company-thing, what you said about him makes it sound like he is a good guy.”

Felicity smiled. “He’s the best.”

“Felicity?”

Felicity shot a brief look back over her shoulder to where Adrian was still waiting for her. She didn’t know if there was a reason why he was trying to make her hurry so much. Maybe he just had a bad day, or maybe he wasn’t feeling comfortable with having her stand out here. She knew that Moira and Oliver had both pressed hard to make sure he was taking this seriously. She guessed there was a lot of tension in this for him too, especially since he had just taken over this position.

“I gotta go now,” Felicity told Cooper. “It was nice to see you again.”

She stepped forward and hugged him briefly. Cooper hugged her back and kissed her cheek chastely.

“It was great to see you again too.”

Felicity smiled at Cooper for a moment longer before she turned around and walked towards Adrian. He put a gentle hand to the small of her back, leading her to the car.

“Everything alright?” he asked.

“Yes, of course. Cooper is an old friend from Las Vegas.” Felicity watched Adrian shooting another look back over his shoulders. When he turned his gaze to look at her, she quickly smiled at him though. “Thank you for picking up Mae from school.”

“She’s a little angel, so I really don’t mind.”

Felicity chuckled. “You have only caught her on the right foot so far then.”

Adrian opened the door to the backseats for her. Felicity stepped in front of the car, but she shot a look back at Cooper. He was still standing where they had talked, his hands pushed into the pockets of his pants and looking at her. Felicity smiled and lifted her hand to a last brief wave before she got into the car.

During the drive to the Queens’ mansion Mae told Felicity all about her day at school. She was talking like a waterfall without interruption. All Felicity was able to do was nod her head and smile at her. Once more she was remembered what it had to be like to be at the receiving end of her own rambles.

By the time the car passed the large gate to the forecourt of the mansion, Mae was just ending her report about everything that had happened today at school. Felicity wanted to ask her if she was excited for the school trip to the zoo next week, but she didn’t get to say a word.

“Raisa and grandma are already waiting!” she called out as soon as she looked up.

Just when the car came to a stop, Mae opened the door of the limousine and ran towards Raisa and her grandma, who were both waiting at the front door. Felicity chuckled, shaking her head about all the energy her little girl had lately. While Mae seemed to be more vivid every day, Felicity felt like she herself had more and more trouble to get through the day without napping at least five times through the day.

The pregnancy was just increasing to take a toll on her.

Felicity followed Mae to the doorstep, hearing her telling her grandmother that she was the only person who called her Madeleine instead of Mae. Moira whispered something into Mae’s ear in response before she pushed her into Raisa’s arms gently and approached Felicity to meet her halfway. She pulled her into a firm hug and rubbed her hand over her back soothingly.

“Hello, my dear,” Moira said and pulled back. Her hands stayed at her elbows though. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine.”

Moira perked up an eyebrow doubtingly and Felicity pulled her bottom lip between her front teeth. Through the years, Moira had developed a really good feeling for what Felicity was feeling. She had stood with her through the darkest time after Oliver’s supposed death. She knew when something bothered her.

“I’m better.” Felicity sighed. “Everything’s been quiet these past days, so I guess that it was just a joke.”

“Let’s hope so.”

Moira put her arm around Felicity’s shoulders and led her to the house where Raisa and Mae were now waiting for them. Felicity leaned into Moira’s side, accepting her comfort gladly.

“Where did you leave our husbands by the way?”

Felicity smiled. “Oliver’s still busy at the restaurant, and Walter is in a meeting. They should both be here in twenty minutes though.”

“That’s perfect timing for our lunch.”

“Does that mean we will go see grandpa before lunch?”

Felicity smiled at Mae and nodded her head. “Yeah, I think so.”

For a split second, Felicity considered asking Moira if she wanted to come with them. Her mother-in-law was avoiding her gaze though, and that was actually all the answer Felicity needed. She knew that, just like Oliver, Moira rather visited Robert’s grave on her own.

“Come on, Mae,” Felicity said, holding out her hand for her daughter. “Let’s go visit grandpa.”

Hand in hand, they strolled through the foyer of the mansion. They crossed the large hall and left through the backdoor into the garden.

“Don’t you want to wait for Mr. Chase to come with you?” Moira asked.

Felicity turned around to her with a smile. “Not necessary. I doubt there is a safer place than this property.”

Moira didn’t look exactly convinced. At least there was some nervousness in her face. The fact that there had been even the slightest chance that someone might be trying to hurt her family bothered her more than she was letting on. She put on a smile and nodded though, respecting Felicity’s decision no matter what she thought about it.

“Come on, Sweetie.”

While they were strolling to the back of the garden, Felicity realized once more how much alike Oliver and his mother were. They shared the same sense for family and the need to protect them no matter what. Maybe their methods weren’t always the best, at least when it came to Moira, but they always meant well.

Their need to protect their families always pushed them to be strong no matter what happened. They barely let anyone see how much they suffered, trying to let anyone lean on them instead. It would probably be a lonely life if they didn’t have people around them that loved them and took care of them.

When the single gravestone in the back of the garden came into sight, Felicity felt her stomach sink a little. The feeling wasn’t as bad as it had been during those long months when there had still been two gravestones there. It was enough to make her stroke her fingers over her bump to soothe the baby and tighten her hand around Mae’s.

Felicity looked at Mae, but the girl was just smiling contently. She had only been a year old when the gravesite for Robert alongside one for Oliver had been set up as a memorial since they had thought their bodies had been lost at sea. She hadn’t been old enough to understand what death meant, so she had just accepted these stones as part of her life.

Tears welled in Felicity’s eyes, and she had to take some deep breaths to hold them back. She still remembered how Mae had started calling the gravestone dada and how she had showed it to Oliver after he had come back after his year of being lost at sea. It had broken his heart when he had realized that, for Mae, dada wasn’t a person. It was a stone.

That year they had spent without Oliver had been incredibly hard. Felicity hadn’t been herself, and she knew she wouldn’t have been able to get through all of that if it hadn’t been for the support of her family and friends. They had made sure that she could raise Mae and still go to MIT. More importantly, they had helped her survive the pain of losing Oliver.

They stopped in front of the grave, and Mae let go of Felicity’s hand to step in front of the stone and give it a kiss like she always did.

“Hi, Grandpa,” she said. “My teacher told me today that I am doing really good at school. I am very proud of myself. I am also very much looking forward to my sibling. It’s only a few more weeks until he or she is born.”

Mae stepped back until she could lean back against Felicity, resting her ear on the baby bump. Felicity smiled, wrapping an arm around her daughter’s shoulders.

“We really miss you, Robert,” Felicity added, “and we really wished you were here with us to get to know this little nugget here. I am sure you would have been a great grandfather of two.”

Felicity smiled softly, thinking of Robert. For a long time, she had just known him as the man who had built the successful tech company Queen Consolidated and given her a chance to gain some experience during an internship. Her first opinion on him outside of the business man had been tainted by the tense Oliver’s relationship with him at that time.

“Mom?”

Felicity almost flinched. She still hadn’t gotten used to being called mom instead of mommy. Mae seemed to slowly distance herself from calling her mommy though. At least when they were talking seriously, she often called her mom. She just grew up way too fast.

“Yes?”

“What kind of person was Grandpa Robert?”

Felicity frowned. “What do you mean?”

Mae shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Was he nice?”

“Hmm.”

Felicity puckered her lips. She and Oliver had both told Mae a lot about Robert. They wanted him to be a part of her life even though he couldn’t be with them. Just like Quentin and Walter, he was her grandfather after all.

“Did you like Grandpa Robert?”

“Very much, yes,” Felicity replied, nodding her head. “He was very strict with daddy which was why their relationship was a little tense when I got to know him.”

Mae nodded slowly. She looked at the gravestone for a moment before she looked back at Felicity again, waiting for her to say more.

“Dad once said he hates your real dad because he was a bad dad, and he hates everyone who has ever been bad to you.”

Felicity smiled. Oliver was indeed quite unforgiving when it came to people hurting her. He had taken much longer to forgive his mother for trying to push Felicity out of his life than Felicity herself had needed.

“Grandpa Robert wasn’t a bad dad though,” Felicity explained. “You know, daddy had a lot of nonsense in mind when he was in high school, and Grandpa Robert has just tried to push him into some structure. Daddy hasn’t been happy about it, but he did eventually realize that Grandpa Robert only wanted what was best for him.”

Mae nodded her head, looking at the gravestone once more. There was a little crinkle between her eyebrows that told Felicity that she was processing what she had just heard. The fact that it only deepened with time told her that there were still questions.

“Did Grandpa Robert not want me at the start like Granny Moira?”

Felicity’s shoulders tensed, and she looked at Mae with a deep frown.

“Grandpa Robert loved you with all of his heart,” she told her, “and Granny Moira loves you very much too. Why would you think that Granny Moira didn’t want you?”

“She told me.”

Mae just shrugged her shoulders. Felicity wasn’t sure if there was sadness in her daughter’s eyes, but she thought she saw at least a glimpse of it. She walked around Mae until she stood in front of her. As difficult as it was, Felicity went down on her knees in front of her, so their eyes were on one level. She took both of her daughter’s hands and held them in hers firmly.

“Granny Moira loves you very much,” Felicity told her. “You are her little princess and one of her favorite people in the world.”

“I know.”

“Granny Moira was just very worried when she heard that you were growing in my tummy, you know?” Felicity continued. “Daddy and I were very young. We were still in school. In some ways, we were still kids. Kids shouldn’t have a kid. She thought she had to protect daddy from having a kid so early and-“

“Mom.”

When Mae put her hands to Felicity’s cheeks and looked at her urgently, she stopped. She perked up her eyebrows, looking at her daughter without saying a word.

“I know that,” Mae explained. “Granny told me all of that. Did Grandpa react the same way at the start?”

To say Felicity was speechless was an understatement. Her daughter was only eight years old. Yet, she seemed to process the fact that her grandmother hadn’t loved her from the moment she had known about her quite well. Given how excited Moira had been when she had heard about the second baby, this was even more surprising.

Either Mae had an unbelievably good heart, or Moira had found exactly the right words to make sure that Mae understood how much she was loved. Maybe it was just both.

“Grandpa Robert loved you from the very moment he knew about you,” Felicity explained with a smile. “Daddy was scared to tell granny and grandpa about you because he thought grandpa would be angry with him. When grandpa finally did get to know the news, he was a little worried. He had hoped that your daddy would only have a baby later when he was older. He was very happy that your daddy didn’t run though. A lot of men who have babies when they are that young run. Your daddy didn’t do that, and that is why Grandpa Robert was very proud. He said that he would support daddy and me, so we had help if we needed help raising you. He really wanted us to be a family from the very start.”

“Did Grandpa Robert ever see me?”

“Of course he did,” Felicity replied. “He died a few days before your first birthday. Before that, he saw you a lot of times though. He made sure there was always enough time on his schedule to see you whenever he wanted to or whenever you needed him.”

“Can you tell me a story about him and me?” Mae asked. “Something Grandpa Robert and I did together?”

Felicity smiled, tugging a strand of Mae’s hair back behind her ear. There had only been a year after Mae’s birth that Robert had been alive, and there had only been a couple of months after her birth before Felicity and Oliver had moved to Boston with her. Still, Felicity could recall a thousand of memories she had of Robert and Mae together.

There was one memory that always came to her mind when she thought about Robert though. It always followed right after his reaction to hearing that his teenage son was going to be a dad.

“Do you remember that daddy and I once told you that, when you were still a very tiny baby, we were all living with Granny Donna, Grandpa Quentin and Aunt Laurel?”

Mae nodded her head. “Yes.”

“When you were five weeks old, Granny Moira called and asked if it was okay that we spent a weekend here at the mansion,” Felicity told Mae, smiling softly. “She wanted Granny Donna and Grandpa Quentin to have a little time for themselves, and she wanted to see you of course. So daddy, you and I spent a few days here. During that second night we spent here, you were crying a lot. You were basically crying all night, and daddy and I were incredibly tired. We couldn’t sleep when you weren’t sleeping. We tried everything to make you fall asleep. We carried you around. We tried feeding you. We cuddled with you. We really tried everything, but nothing worked.”

“Sorry?”

“It wasn’t your fault. You were a baby.” Felicity chuckled, kissing Mae’s cheek, before she continued, “Grandpa Robert eventually woke up. He could see how tired daddy and I were, so he said that he was going to take care of you, so we could sleep. The moment I lay you down in his arms, you became quiet, and it only took a couple of minutes until you fell asleep. From that night on, you two were inseparable.”

Only now Felicity noticed that a single tear was running down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, smiling away the light pain she felt in her chest at the memory. In moments like these, she remembered why she missed Robert so much.

“I think I would love Grandpa Robert even more than I do now if I had known him,” Mae said. “And I already love him a lot.”

Felicity didn’t know what she should say to that. There was probably nothing she could say, so she just pulled Mae into her arms and hugged her very tightly.

The day the Gambit had sunken would always be a dark day in the history of their family. That day and the year that had followed would always have their effects on all of them. While Oliver’s return had given them some hope in life nobody would ever forget the deep loss they had suffered through Robert’s death. Time had healed the paralyzing pain, but the aching longing to have him here was still there and would accompany them forever.

When Felicity felt her hackles rise and a cold shiver running down her back, she tensed. Pulling out of the hug but holding onto Mae’s hips, she turned her head back over her shoulder. The small forest that belonged to the Queen forest was quiet. She didn’t see a person, not even the gardener or any of the security there. Still, the unwell feeling of being watched just didn’t go away.

“Everything alright, Mommy?”

Felicity turned back around to Mae quickly and put on a smile. She doubted that it reached her eyes, but she hoped it was enough for Mae not to be worried.

“Everything’s fine,” Felicity said, telling herself that it was probably nothing. “Let’s just go back to the house, okay?”

When Mae nodded her head, Felicity got up onto her feet. Hand in hand, they strolled back to the mansion, back to where Felicity knew without any doubt it was safe.


	4. Chapter 4

Sliding back and forth on her chair, Felicity tried to find the right position to sit comfortably. Unfortunately, her baby bump made it almost impossible to stand, sit or lie comfortably. The weight of the bump seemed to pull at her front, causing a slightly dragging pain. The strain it meant for her back left a dull ache there.

Felicity loved being pregnant. She loved being so close to her baby and having this connection that only she could have to the baby. She enjoyed feeling his movements inside of her, whether he kicked or just had a hiccup. As long as the baby was inside of her, he was well-protected. Nothing could happen to him, and there was just something soothing about the thought. That Oliver spoilt her even more than he already did when she wasn’t pregnant was just the icing on the cake.

As much as Felicity loved being pregnant, she couldn’t wait for her baby to be born. Aside from the fact that she couldn’t wait to meet this tiny human-being after all these months, her body could also use the relief. Her back would probably be grateful, and her bladder could need a pause from being used as a trampoline too.

She really couldn’t remember that being pregnant had been this exhausting when she had been pregnant with Mae. The emotional struggle she had gone through at that time had probably covered the physical struggle though.

With a sigh, Felicity leaned back in her chair. It wasn’t exactly comfortable as the baby’s weight was now pressing down on her spine, but at least it was a different feeling now. She let the feeling sink in for a moment, stroking her hand over her bump, before she took the file from the desk and resumed reading.

She had just managed to skim the first three lines of the paragraph when her cellphone rang. Without even looking up from the text, she reached out her hand and grabbed the phone. Rereading the last lines once more, she took the call.

“Hello?”

There was a beat of silence that Felicity barely noticed. Only when a long noise sounded, she stopped reading and frowned.

“Hello?”

The noise continued. Felicity’s frown deepened as she tried to figure out what it was. She shot a brief look at the caller ID, thinking that maybe her mother was calling and the connection from Europe was just bad. The words that showed on the display of her phone made her suck in a deep breath though. Unknown Number.

Five days had passed since Saturday. Everything had been quiet since. She hadn’t received any more texts or any gifts. She had even been able to shake the feeling of being watched. She had thought that whatever had happened last week was over. Technically, those two little words on her display didn’t prove anything either, but Felicity just had a bad feeling about this given what had happened last weekend.

“Who is there?”

Felicity tightened her hand on the phone, listening closely. She tried to hear anything that could help her figuring out who this caller was or where he called from. There were no sounds of a train passing by or a special chime that could only be hurt in one district of the city like it happened so often in the movies. There was nothing but the noise that she soon noticed was heavy breathing.

Unable to take it any longer, Felicity hung up. She took in a deep breath, trying to shake the bad feeling. Without any hesitation, she turned to her phone and switched on the intercom to talk to her assistant.

“Gerry, please send Adrian in.”

Her assistant shot her a look through the large glass walls before he gestured for Adrian, who was standing at the other side of the office anteroom. With large steps he walked towards Felicity door. He knocked briefly before he stepped in.

“Everything alright?”

“I just got a phone call,” Felicity said and waved with her cellphone. “It was an unknown number. Nobody talked. There was just breathing.”

She threw her cellphone towards him without warning, but Adrian caught it one-handedly without much effort.

“I will try tracking this caller, but I cannot promise anything. If it’s the same person that sent you the texts, the flowers and the gift, he won’t get caught easily.”

“I know,” Felicity said, nodding her head. “Just try to find out anything please.”

Adrian nodded his head. “Of course.”

He looked at her for a moment longer before he nodded once more. He tightened his hold on Felicity’s phone, straightened his shoulders and turned around. He reached the door with two steps.

“Adrian?”

Adrian turned around to Felicity with perked up eyebrows. “Yes?”

“Do you think I am overreacting?” she asked honestly, her voice sounding small. “I mean nothing threatening happened, right? There were just texts, flowers, a gift and now one strange call. It’s nothing. I am just freaking out. That’s it. Right?”

For a long moment, Adrian just looked at her. He was scrutinizing her face thoroughly, thinking about how he should answer. Releasing a long breath, he sat down at the chair on the other side of her desk then. He looked at her insistently.

“One of the worst problems with stalking is that it is not taken seriously soon enough,” Adrian told her. “It’s not just about the victims but also family and friends as well as police. Everyone says it’s just letters or just phone calls or just whatever. Of course they are right. It is just that at the start, but that doesn’t mean it will stay like that. Stalkers are unpredictable, and every stalker is different. Wait and see it good tactic at the start, but if it doesn’t stop, you have to go on to the offensive. You feel unsafe, so we have something to do about this.”

Felicity took in a deep breath, feeling a little bit of relief. At least that meant she wasn’t completely crazy.

“What do you suggest we do now?” Felicity asked. “I mean our attempts at finding out who this is didn’t lead us anywhere so far.”

“Experts advise to four steps in handling stalkers,” Adrian explained. “The first step is setting boundaries. It’s easy when you know the stalker, but it will work this way too. You reject gifts. You reject calls. You do not answer to texts.”

Felicity nodded her head. “Understood.”

“The second step is telling people close to you about this, but you have already done this. The third step is to give one last warning and finally call in the police. Since you have personal security through me, that’s a lot of warning and actually close to calling in police already.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes slightly. “You know a lot about stalking.”

“I did a lot of reading about it after Saturday,” Adrian replied with a half-hearted chuckle. “Like you said, it’s a job with a lot of responsibilities, and I am taking my job seriously.”

“Good to know.”

“Really, Felicity,” he said with soft voice, “if there is anything I can do to make you feel better, just tell me.”

“Thank you, Adrian. I really appreciate that.”

Adrian smiled at her briefly before he got up and walked to the door. He had just reached it yet again when her phone rang once more. Felicity tensed immediately, and she felt her heart jumping up into her throat.

“It’s your mom,” Adrian said. “Sorry for looking.”

Felicity smiled quickly. “It’s fine.”

She reached out her hand and Adrian walked back to her desk to hand her the phone. He gestured towards the door with a questioning look like he wanted to ask if he should leave her alone. Felicity just shook her head and gestured for him to sit back down. The phone calls with her mother usually weren’t that private that nobody could be around.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Felicity!” The excitement in her mother’s voice was unmistakable. “Finally, I get a hold on you.”

“Have you tried to call me already?”

“Yes, a few times, but you were always busy,” Donna replied. “How are you? How are my grandchildren?”

“I am fine,” Felicity replied, “though I am impatiently waiting for your youngest grandchild to lay in my arms rather than on my bladder.”

Adrian tried to hide his amusement, but he couldn’t bite back a snort. When Felicity looked at him, he quickly cleared his throat and pretended to be really busy looking at his shoes. He hid his lips behind his hand though.

“You will make it through this. It’s just a few more weeks,” Donna told her gently. “I guess Mae is excited too?”

“Very excited, yes.” Felicity smiled. “She’s going to be the best big sister a baby could wish for. I already know that.”

“Of course she is. She had strong role models for good siblings.”

“That’s true.”

Felicity smiled to herself. Oliver was a great big brother. His relationship with Thea had had its ups and downs, especially since the gap in age. They had always been close, no matter what though.

Felicity had two wonderful big sisters too. Sara and Laurel had really made her feel like she was one of them and like they had always been sisters. She hadn’t been the stepsister. She had been their sister without any reservations. It was why she had confided in them when she had needed someone to lean on during the pregnancy with Mae.

“How’s Europe?” Felicity asked eventually.

“It’s a dream come true,” Donna replied. “I cannot believe it’s only going to be a few more weeks. This tour around the world has been an unbelievable experience.”

“I can imagine,” Felicity replied. “What other destinations are on your schedule for the rest of your tour?”

“We are currently on our way to Munich. After that, we still have Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid and some Portuguese island to go. I forgot the name.”

“Sounds like you still have a lot on your plate.”

“We do, but it’s great,” Donna replied. “I am sure you have a lot on your plate too. With the baby on the way and your last days at Queen Consolidated, you are probably busy. I hope my handsome son-in-law and Moira are taking good care of you.”

“Very good care, yes. I am quite busy though.” Felicity nodded her head even though her mother couldn’t see it. “There is always a bunch of work waiting for me at my desk. It doesn’t slow down just because I am having a baby. Buying all the baby equipment and making sure everything is ready for the baby’s birth – it’s a lot of work too, but it’s a good kind of work. I couldn’t be happier.”

“That’s great to hear.”

Felicity could hear the smile in her mother’s voice and tried not to feel too guilty about lying to her. The only reason she wasn’t telling her the truth which was that she hadn’t really bought much baby equipment yet because she had been too busy at QC and with this newest problem. She knew she needed to make time for that soon though if she didn’t want her baby to come home to an unfurnished nursery and sleep on the floor with nothing but a blanket wrapped around his tiny body.

“Mom, I gotta hang up now,” Felicity said quickly. “Have a nice time and just remember to send Mae as many postcards as you can, okay?”

“Oh, we surely do.” Donna chuckled. “Bye, Felicity.”

“Bye, Mom.”

Felicity hung up with a sigh and held the phone out for Adrian to take it. He did, looking at her with a hesitating expression on his face.

“You really don’t want to tell your mother about this?” he asked. “Because if I had a child, I would want to know about this.”

Felicity shook her head. “No. My mother would just end her world cruise early and come back to Starling to drive me crazy. I love my mom, but she and I do not necessary deal with things the same way.”

Adrian nodded. He didn’t look necessarily convinced, but he didn’t argue with her either. Still, Felicity felt the need to say something more.

“My mom has always dreamed of seeing the world, and this is the first time she got further then Illinois,” Felicity explained. “I don’t want to ruin this for her. This stalker is probably just going to get bored and leave anyway.

Again, Adrian nodded. He still didn’t seem convinced, but he just shot her a smile and walked towards the door.

She could hear her phone ringing from the anteroom once more. Adrian shot a look at the display. This time, he didn’t come back to hand her the phone though. He just tightened his grip and frowned seriously. Felicity didn’t need him to say anything to understand what this meant.

Whatever was happening here, it still wasn’t over.

 

* * *

 

A long breath escaped Oliver’s breath when he realized that he had woken up. Frowning, he turned his head to shoot a look at his alarm. According to the LED display board, it wasn’t even three in the morning, so it was definitely to early to even lie awake in bed until his alarm would go off like he did so often.

With another sigh, Oliver turned onto his side. He reached his arms out for Felicity, so he could wrap his arms around her and snuggle up to her back. He always slept best when there was little to no distance between him and her. When her hands found her body, touching her shoulders, he frowned though. All tiredness was like washed away immediately.

“Felicity?”

A little whimper escaped Felicity, and she only trembled more. Sliding to her as close as possible, Oliver wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. He could feel her rapid heartbeat and her erratic breathing. The back of her top was damp from sweat, and the skin of her arms was cold. Despite the tight hold she had on him, she was still restless, moving and trembling in his arms.

“It’s okay,” Oliver whispered soothingly. “It’s okay, Felicity. I am here. You are not alone. I am here. You are alright. Everything’s alright.”

Despite his soft whispers, Felicity didn’t calm down. Her heart was beating as quickly as it had before already. Her breathing was only getting more erratic. She was hyperventilating to a point that Oliver felt she would pass out if she was awake.

“Felicity, you gotta calm down,” Oliver whispered and stroked his hand over her baby bump. “You are home. It’s alright.”

There was still no reaction though. He didn’t seem to get through to her at all. She seemed to be too much caught in her nightmare.

Oliver felt his heart breaking for Felicity. He knew from own experience how much nightmares could make you suffer and how physically and emotionally exhausted they could leave you when you woke up.

After the Gambit had gone down and his father had shot himself in front of his eyes, telling him to go back to his family and take care of his girls, Oliver had been haunted by nightmares for years. He had relived the moment his father had shot himself and moments on the island, thinking he would die and never see Felicity or Mae, again and again every night. Sometimes, he had dreamed that he died and saw Felicity and Mae breaking apart at the news. Other times, he had dreamed about coming back from the island and being long forgotten. Neither Felicity nor Mae had remembered him. Looking back, he couldn’t say which nightmare had been worse for him to process.

Only therapy had helped him to make the nightmares occur less often though there were still nights that he woke up without knowing where he was. Usually, it was having Felicity right at his side, holding him in her arms and reminding him that he was home that helped him push past the aftermath quickly.

When Felicity’s whimpers grew louder and her trembles turned into spasms, Oliver pressed his lips to the soft spot right under her ear.

“Felicity, you have to wake up now,” he whispered a little more loudly than he had spoken before. “Wake up please.”

With a gasp for breath, Felicity opened her eyes. Even in the darkness of their bedroom, he could see how she was looking around quickly, trying to find out where she was. Still disorientated, Felicity moved her hand to her bump like she wanted to check if the baby was okay. Her fingers found Oliver’s hand that was already resting over her top, and that was the moment she finally relaxed a little.

“Oliver.”

He kissed the soft spot under her ear once more, tightening his hold on Felicity. His hand stroked up and down her baby bump slowly, offering some comfort.

“Yes, it’s me,” he whispered unnecessarily as Felicity was already relaxing against him. “I am here. You’re safe.”

“What happened?” Felicity asked, still being out of breath. “What- I don’t- I’m so cold.”

Oliver pulled the blanket up her body until it reached right under her chin. He put his hand to her arm and rubbed up and down, trying to spend some more warmth.

“Do you want some tea?” he asked her. “Or maybe some soup or just a heating pad. I could-“

“No.” Felicity shook her head firmly. “No.”

There was a long moment of silence. Oliver didn’t say a word. He just continued trying to warm her and give her a little comfort in this situation. He knew that all he could really do was being there for her and wait for her to tell her what she needed.

Felicity took a few deep breaths. Oliver could feel her breathing and her heartbeat slowing down. The tensions in her muscles disappeared completely, and her body melted back against his to a point that it felt like they were just one. Felicity moved her hand to his on her upper arm, lacing her fingers through his. She pulled his hand to her lips, kissed the palm of her hand and squeezed his fingers.

Even without hearing her say a single word about her nightmare, Oliver knew what it had been about. These last days had been a terrible up and down. After there had been a few days that nothing happened and those unwanted gifts had stopped, Felicity had started to receive phone calls. Whoever called her, never said a word. He just breathed heavily. The number of phone calls had increased quickly.

Oliver couldn’t say that he wasn’t unsettled by these developments. He tried not to show it too much because he didn’t want to frighten Felicity anymore than she already was frightened. He tried to be strong for her and for Mae, so they could lean on them. It was his job to do so. Internally, he was going crazy though.

As recently as this morning, Adrian had told Oliver that the way those phone calls he escalated quickly wasn’t a good sign. Within less than a week, whoever was doing this had gone from sending texts to seeking more direct contact through phone calls. If he really meant it seriously, he would soon try to meet her.

“It was just a nightmare.”

“Yeah,” Oliver whispered back. He nuzzled the nape of Felicity’s neck and kissed her shoulder. “I am here. You are safe. It’s-“

“I know,” Felicity interrupted him. “Let’s just go back to sleep. I am fine and-“

“No, you are not fine,” Oliver whispered, “and you don’t have to pretend to be fine for me.”

Oliver considered Felicity to be much stronger than he was. She was better at showing what she really felt instead of hiding it like he did. She confronted her pain because she had the strength to do so. If she tried to cover her emotions, she did so because she thought he needed it. He knew that.

“It’s okay to be scared. I am scared too.”

At that, Felicity turned around in his arms. She put her hands to his cheeks and let her fingers explore his mimics. Unlike Oliver, she couldn’t see well in the dark.

“Are you?”

“Of course I am,” Oliver whispered, tightening his hold on her. “I am scared that someone is trying to hurt you and, with that, our entire family. If there is something that scares me more than anything, it is that someone could hurt Mae, you or our baby.”

“Maybe it’s just nothing.”

Felicity’s voice was small, and Oliver could hear how close to crying she was. In the darkness, he couldn’t see any tears, but he was sure they were already welling in her eyes.

“Do you believe that?”

There was a beat of silence after Oliver’s question before a heart-wrenching throb fell from Felicity’s lips. She moved impossibly close to him, resting her head under his chin and letting him hold her. Oliver did so gladly, protecting her with his strong arms wrapped around her and rubbing his hands over her back that he knew was aching from the weight of her bump lately.

They had tried to tell themselves that it was nothing at the start, but there was no denying that something was going wrong here now. Even if there had just been texts, the moment Felicity had started to feel unsafe, they should have taken further measures. It wasn’t okay for Felicity to be scared. Even if this was just a joke, and Oliver got the feeling that it wasn’t, it just really wasn’t okay.

“I will have to get a new phone number,” Felicity said with a sob eventually. “I get these phone calls every ten minutes now.”

“I know,” Oliver whispered, kissing Felicity’s forehead. “I will take care of a new number for you first thing tomorrow.”

Felicity nodded, sucking in a deep breath. Her fingers were clinging to his shirt, holding onto him as tightly as she could. Her nose was resting against the side of his neck, and she breathed him in regularly.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for being here.”

Oliver smiled softly to himself. As messed up as all of this was, the little moments he shared with his family gave him the strength to stand through this and help Felicity to stand through this too. At least he hoped that he could help Felicity to stand through this a little.

“There is no place it’s rather be,” Oliver whispered. “Absolutely none.”

“Not even Aruba?”

Oliver chuckled. After they had spent their honeymoon in Aruba, they really wanted to go to Aruba now. If Felicity wasn’t pregnant, he would talk to his mother and ask for the private jet to take them to Aruba, far away from here, as soon as possible. He made a mental note to take Felicity to Aruba as soon as their yet-to-be-born family member would allow them to.

“Not Aruba. Not Bali. No other place on this earth.”

Felicity angled her head back to look at his face. Oliver guessed that her eyes were adjusted to the dark now, at least better adjusted than they had been before. She looked tired and exhausted, but there was a warmth in her eyes that only Felicity could feel with how messed up things were around them.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”

Oliver smiled and brushed his thumb over Felicity’s cheek. He could feel the wetness where the tears had fallen. He wiped them way, wishing the pain that had caused them could be wiped away just as easily.

“I love you too.”

They both leaned in at the same time, so their lips met halfway. Oliver could taste the salt of her tears on her lips, but it only made him want to kiss her more. He wanted to take the saltiness away like he had wiped the wetness away, so he licked over her bottom lip until Felicity opened her lips to the touch of his tongue.

A low moan escaped Felicity’s lips, and it echoed in his chest. Her leg fought itself free from the blanket that was covering her and wrapped around his hip. Propping herself up onto her elbow, Felicity turned Oliver onto his back and climbed onto his lap. Oliver was surprised in the sudden shift of atmosphere, but he held onto Felicity’s hips to pull her even closer nonetheless.

When their lips eventually parted, Felicity licked her lips. She moved against him, pressing the juncture of her legs against his lap.

“Make love to me.”

Her whisper filled the room. Though it was a request, it sounded like a promise. Oliver didn’t need to be asked twice. His fingers already snuck beneath the hem of Felicity’s top, and he straightened up a little, so his lips got closer to Felicity’s. He could feel her breath ghosting over his face.

“Gladly.”

The last sound had just fallen from his lips when he closed the distance and kissed Felicity once more. He wanted her to find herself in him and find himself in her. It was what they both needed tonight.

 

* * *

 

“I have fallen into despair.”

Felicity chuckled, opening the door further for Laurel to come in. Her older step sister sighed and hugged Felicity briefly before she went past her into the house.

“I really thought all of these samples of possible decorations would make choosing the decorations a cakewalk because I thought I knew what I wanted, but now I feel like I have no idea what I want anymore,” Laurel said with a shake of her head and sighed. “Tommy is absolutely no help of course. Men usually aren’t helpful when it comes to aesthetic decisions. The only decision Tommy wanted to have a say in was which drinks and food we were offering. Everything else has been up to me, and I am really going crazy here.”

“Good thing you have a real wedding enthusiast here,” Felicity said with a smile.

Laurel turned around to her with an amused smile and perked up an eyebrow. “You mean Mae?”

“Who else would I mean?”

They both chuckled. As much as Felicity loved weddings or had at least learned to love them, nobody came close to loving them as much as Mae did. Felicity wouldn’t be surprised if her daughter decided to plan weddings for a living someday far into the future. She would certainly do so with all of her heart.

“Where is Mae?”

“Coming!”

There was a rumbling upstairs before Mae came into sight. She ran down the stairs, jumping down the last two steps. She didn’t manage to stop soon enough and almost knocked Laurel off her feet when she threw herself at her, wrapping her arms around her aunt’s middle and hugging her tightly.

“Hi, Munchkin,” Laurel said, hugging her back with a chuckle. “Thank you for offering your help with the wedding decorations because I really cannot do this alone.”

“Don’t worry,” Mae replied. “You’ve got me now.”

Laurel smiled at her and pulled a thick collection folder from her purse. “That’s good because I really need your help with all of these possible wedding decorations.”

“I’ve got this,” Mae said and took the folder from Laurel. She had to hold it to her chest tightly and arch her back to keep it from dropping to the floor. “This will be much more fun than helping Uncle Tommy to pick a suit.”

“Girls’ days are always more fun,” Laurel agreed. “You did right to choose your mom and me over your dad and Uncle Tommy.”

Mae already walked ahead to the living room, and Felicity was about to follow her, but Laurel held her back. She grabbed her hand and waited until Mae had disappeared in the living room where she couldn’t hear them before she looked at Felicity.

“I am very sorry I asked you for help in this.”

Felicity frowned. “Why? I told you I would help you with the wedding preparations.”

“Yeah, but that was before all of this stalking happened,” Laurel replied. “It was why I wanted to delay the wedding planning until Donna was back to help me. That way I would have gotten the help I needed, and I could have helped you getting a little rest from your mom. I know you need it sometimes. When Ollie came over last week, he said it might be a good idea to ask you to help me though. I wasn’t sure but-“

“If Oliver thinks it’s a good idea, you can actually be sure that it probably is.” Felicity smiled warmly. “Oliver knows me better than anybody else. If he thinks it’s worth a try to distract me, it is. Besides, you went with me to a birthing class when were still in high school, so I might owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything, and even if you did,” Laurel said, scrunching up her nose slightly and shaking her head. “If this is getting too much for you at any time, you just tell me and I will pack in my stuff and give you the rest you need.”

Felicity took in a deep breath, nodding her head. She couldn’t deny that she would have probably told Laurel to please ask someone else to help her with the wedding planning. Since Oliver had explicitly told Laurel that he thought it was a good idea if Felicity helped, she was giving this idea a shot though. Oliver knew her quite well, so this might actually help to distract her a little bit.

“Is there anything new about the stalker yet?” Laurel asked. “The last Ollie told us was that you got a new phone number and that Moira increased your security.”

“Adrian Chase and his team are watching the house 24/7 now,” Felicity replied with a sigh, nodding her head, “in case that guy should show up here.”

“Were there any more calls?”

“Not since I changed my phone number.” Felicity massaged the back of her neck uncomfortably for a moment. “The truth is that I wouldn’t even know if something happened though. Adrian is checking my post and my emails in case the guy tries to contact me through that.”

When Adrian had suggested this, Felicity hadn’t been sure at the start. She knew that Adrian was trustworthy. If you worked in the security branch, especially for a family like the Queens, you had to be trustworthy. If there was any doubt about that, Moira’s thorough checkups of anyone she hired would have brought those doubts to the surface. Still, letting someone go through every piece of her life had seemed a lot.

Since the only other option had been a gasp for breath and a racing heart whenever she received an email or whatever, letting Adrian go through it first had seemed to be the better idea.

“And you still don’t know who it is?”

Felicity shook her head. “I have tried to think of anyone who could do that, but I really have no idea. I can’t imagine that I even know a person who would do that.”

“And Moira’s security didn’t find out anything either?”

“No.” Felicity sighed. “All possible leads led nowhere at the end.”

Laurel tugged some strands of Felicity’s hair out of her face and behind her ear. She smiled comfortingly, squeezing her fingers once more.

“I have no idea what you are going through,” she said, “but I am here for you whatever you need.”

Felicity took in a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears she already felt welling in her eyes. She couldn’t count how many times she had burst into tears or at least been close to doing so in the last few weeks. She felt like she was constantly on edge, always scared that something would happen.

“Thank you,” Felicity whispered. “Since there is nothing we can do to end this right now, I guess distraction is the best we can do instead. Otherwise, I will just sit here and wonder why all of this is happening.”

It wasn’t fair this was happening to them. After everything she and Oliver had already been through, they should be able to enjoy the last time before their second baby was born. They shouldn’t have to deal with something like this.

Felicity had tried to figure out what she had done to deserve this. She didn’t necessarily believe in karma, but she did believe that good people deserve good things happening to them. She was far from perfect, but she did consider herself a good person. Still, it seemed like the most terrible things kept happening to Oliver and her.

Life just wasn’t fair.

“You don’t blame yourself for this, do you?” Laurel asked with a frown. “Because this is not your fault.”

Felicity released a breath. “Then whose fault is it?”

“It’s the fault of that guy,” Laurel said firmly. “He’s crazy. He doesn’t understand the boundaries every other person understands. No matter what you said or do, there is no excuse in the world for anyone to act like this and make you feel like this. Even if those gifts and those texts and whatever were all meant well, it is not okay.”

Felicity sucked in another deep breath, nodding her head. She knew in the back of her mind that Laurel was right. There was nobody to blame but whoever was doing this. It was just easier to blame herself rather than a faceless and nameless person.

“If there is one thing you want to blame yourself for,” Laurel said with an almost amused smile, “it should be being so gorgeous that even a possible stranger just fell in love with you and can’t imagine spending your life without you now, and that’s hardly something that deserves blame, right”

Despite the tears in her eyes, she couldn’t help but chuckle about Laurel’s words. She nodded, wordlessly agreeing that Laurel was right. She wasn’t to blame, and she shouldn’t blame herself.

After a moment of silence, Laurel pulled Felicity into her arms for a gentle hug. Felicity leaned against her older step sister, taking some deep breaths until she felt more relaxed. Only then she pulled back and nodded her head.

“It’s probably just a crazy person,” Felicity whispered. “A really crazy person.”

There was a small part of her that noticed that there was little to no comfort in the fact that the person who was stalking her was crazy. Crazy people were even more unpredictable than sane people were.

“Hey, are you coming?”

At Mae’s call, Felicity took in another deep breath. She wiped her fingers under her eyes to make sure there was no sign of the tears that had welled there left. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took one last breath and finally put on a smile.

Laurel and Felicity joined Mae in the living room. Apparently, while the adults had still talked about the threats the little girl didn’t know anything about yet, she had gone through the entire part of the collection folder that held samples of table decoration. She had used the coasters Felicity had put on the couch table for the homemade ice tea Oliver had prepared for them to mark the pages with her most favorite decorations.

“So what did you choose?” Laurel asked, rubbing her hands together. “I am already so excited.”

While Felicity poured them some ice tea, Mae presented the three table decorations she had picked. Interestingly, she had chosen three completely different sets. The first one had a flowery theme and was held in green and different shades of beige. The second sample looked very noble with crystals and pearls on a light blue background.

“This one is my absolute favorite though.”

Felicity almost burst out laughing when Mae opened the folder on her third favorite. With the pink tablecloth, the pink flowers and pink feathers, it looked like it had been designed by Barbie while she had been high on ecstasy. If the expression on Laurel’s face was any indication, she felt the same way.

“You know, Mae, I think I like the other two just a little bit better,” Laurel told Mae carefully. “Let’s take a look back at the other two, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Granny Donna would be really proud of you though,” Felicity whispered towards her daughter, winking. “She would have had the same favorite.”

Mae smiled happily and browsed back in the book, trying to find her other two favorites again. Since she had taken out the coasters when she had first showed her picks to Laurel and Felicity, she didn’t find them as easily.

Felicity was just about to ask Laurel if she had already decided on the flowers for her bouquet since that could help them deciding about the further decorations. Before she could say anything though, her cell phone rang. She shot a look at the display, thinking Oliver would call her to ask if everything was alright, but her heart stopped when she saw those two little words she had hoped never to see again.

Unknown number.

Immediately, Felicity tensed. She had changed her number only a couple of days ago, and it had seemed to be the solution for her problem as she hadn’t received any more calls. Since then, she kept her number a secret. Only a small circle of people had this number, people she knew she could trust.

Her hand was shaking slightly when she grabbed her phone and rejected the call. She didn’t even have the hope that it was someone else, so she didn’t give it a chance. Instead, she just switched off the phone. She wouldn’t give this person the chance to drive her crazy by calling her every ten minutes again.

When Felicity was finally able to look away from the phone, she saw that Laurel watched her. She turned her head, shooting Laurel a brief smile and shaking her head. There was no need to talk about this yet. They had met here to distract Felicity, so she would let herself be distracted rather than thinking too much about this.

“Okay, so I actually like the one with the green a lot,” Laurel said before Mae could notice the silence. “It’s very simple, but it’s also very beautiful.”

“I agree,” Felicity said, nodding her head. “I think it’s very much your and Tommy’s style too.”

“Yes, that is what I was thinking,” Laurel said. “Besides, since there are a lot of decisions about the wedding that are open-“

The doorbell interrupted Laurel, making her frown.

“Do you expect someone?”

“No,” Felicity replied, “but Adrian or one of his colleagues is outside, so I guess it’s okay. Just continue here. I will go and check.”

Felicity hefted herself off the couch with a low groan and massaged the small of her back. At the start of the pregnancy, she had always rolled her eyes about women who were acting like that in TV. Now, she certainly wouldn’t judge anymore.

Walking into the entry room, Felicity shot a cautious look through the small glass part of the front door. It took her a moment to recognize the man at her doorstep as one of Adrian Chase’s colleagues. As soon as she remembered him, she opened the door though.

“I am sorry, Mrs. Queen,” he said, “but this was just delivered for you.”

Felicity saved the breath she would need to tell the man in front of her that her surname was Smoak-Queen. She just took the small parcel he was holding out for her and scrutinized it. It hadn’t been opened apparently which surprised her. Adrian had insisted on opening every post she got.

“Is Mr. Chase not here?” Felicity asked, looking past the security guy in front of her to find his boss. “When I saw him this morning, he said he was going to be here all day.”

“He had to leave for a brief meeting,” the man said. “Do you want this parcel now?”

Felicity doubted that the man in front of her had much experience in the security branch, at least when it came to personal security, but she nodded her head and took the parcel.

“I will be at my position if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

The security guy went back to his car, and Felicity stepped back into her house. She walked into the kitchen, turning the parcel between her hands. There was no information about the sender. There was just her name and address written onto it with neat letters.

There was a part of her that knew it would be between to wait for Adrian to come back and let him check the parcel instead of opening it herself. This security guy had obviously not gotten the memo that any post Felicity received wasn’t just looked at from the outside but actually be opened to make sure the content inside wasn’t dangerous or even just threatening.

She knew she wouldn’t get a second of rest until she knew what was inside though. She grabbed the scissor from the topmost drawer of the kitchen counter and opened the parcel.

The first thing Felicity saw inside was an envelope with her name on it. The letters were written just as neatly as the ones on the parcel. With trembling hand, Felicity took the envelope. She turned it between her fingers for a moment and tried to feel what was inside before she opened it and took the card outside.

_We are always getting close to each other. Can you feel it?_

What Felicity did feel was the threatening meaning of these words. The fear they made her feel pooled in the pit of her stomach and spread all through her chest. It would paralyze her if it didn’t cause a wave of adrenaline to rush through her veins with force.

She grabbed the album that was lying at the bottom of the parcel. The sight of the cover alone, a white background with lots of red hearts on it, made her breathing falter. Despite the voice in her head that told her that she should just hand this to Adrian without spending another minute with this new gift, she opened the album and started looking at what was inside.

Her breathing stopped completely now, and her heart was pumping so quickly that her entire body was shaking from the force. Her fingers trembled so much that she was barely able hold the album. She tightened her hold on it quickly.

The album was full of photos of her and Mae. They were getting out of the car and talking in front of Verdant. They were strolling down the street, hand in hand, to get some ice cream after school. They were standing at the window in Mae’s bedroom and looking at the stars. They were standing at Robert’s grave, hugging each other tightly and so much more.

All of these photos had been taken in the last few days since Felicity had returned from Gotham. They had been taken from right outside this house or somewhere in the Queens’ forest or even across the street from Verdant. Whoever this was, he was so much closer than Felicity had thought he would be, and he was that close to her the entire time.

The other thing there was no doubt about was that whoever did this couldn’t bare the thought that Oliver was a part of her life. He was cut from photos, or his face was burnt out when it was more in the background. It wasn’t any less threatening than the first part.

There wasn’t just a person out there who stalked her. There was a person out there who stalked Mae and her, a person who had come so close to her daughter that he had managed to take photos of them in their home. The same person seemed to have trouble seeing Oliver anywhere close to them.

When Felicity’s legs started trembling, threatening to give out right under her, she quickly put a protecting hand to her bump. The baby was moving strongly, probably feeling his mother’s restlessness. Felicity tried to take in a deep breath, but she couldn’t. Her lungs were unable to take in the air, and panic spread in her chest at the feeling.

“Felicity, I think we need your help in the living room because your whirlwind of a daughter is-“

Felicity turned around, looking at Laurel. Shock was written onto her stepsister’s face as she must make a terrible image.

Before Felicity could say anything, black dots started dancing in front of her eyes. She tried to grab a chair to sit down, but her legs were already giving out under her.

“Felicity!”

Laurel’s worried shout was the last thing Felicity heard before everything blacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven’t done so yet, I suggest listening to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFgAbn0Mbog&start_radio=1&list=RDDFgAbn0Mbog). It fits the narrative perfectly, especially after the last chapter.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The annoying beeping in her ear resonated in her head painfully. With every beep, something seemed to pound in her head. Usually, a headache like that was a sure sign that she had had a little bit too much wine the night before. Since she was a very responsible pregnant, this couldn’t be the reason for this headache right now though.

As the annoying beeping continued, Felicity groaned. “Oliver.”

“Hey.”

She could feel Oliver’s lips against her forehead. His stubble tickled her skin, and it made Felicity smile unwillingly. No matter how bad her headache was, Oliver’s kiss was making it better already. He was an expert at kissing things better, especially since being a father of an adventurous little girl had allowed him to gather a lot of experience in it.

“How are you feeling?” Oliver asked with lowered voice like he knew exactly that she was suffering from a headache. “Are you okay?”

“Can you switch that off?”

“Switch what off?”

“Your alarm. This beeping is annoying and-“

As soon as Felicity opened her eyes to look at Oliver reproachfully, she stopped. Oliver’s face was right in front of hers, giving her a feeling of familiarity and home. Looking past him, she didn’t see their cozy bedroom though. Instead there were sterile white walls and huge monitors. One of them was the source of the beeping that annoyed her so much.

Felicity tried to think about what had happened that she had ended up here. She couldn’t remember though. Feeling like this was a bad sign, her muscles tensed and her heartbeat quickened. Thanks to the ECG, it didn’t go unnoticed by Oliver. As the beeping quickened with her heartbeat, he shot a brief look back over his shoulder at the monitor.

“Hey, hey, hey.”

Oliver squeezed the one of her hands she was holding and got up from the chair he was sitting on. He sat down at the edge of her mattress instead and put his hand to her cheek. His thumb stroked over her cheekbone.

“It’s alright,” he whispered to her soothingly. “Can you feel this?”

He led their joint fingers to her bump, making the palm of her hand rest against her rounded stomach. She could feel the baby kicking against her hands like he knew exactly that she needed the reassurance that everything was alright in the womb. She guessed he had inherited his father’s sense for knowing exactly what Felicity needed.

“The baby’s okay, so all you have to do is breathe now.” Oliver looked at her intently, squeezing her fingers once more. “Okay, in and out. In and out.”

Felicity timed her breathing with Oliver’s words, and felt the wave of panic dying away slowly. Her heartbeat calmed down, and her chest felt less tightened. At the same time, the mess in her head dissolved, allowing her to think more clearly.

She remembered that she had had a panic attack just like this. She had stood in the kitchen of her home, looking at the latest gift of her stalker, and realized how close he was to her and her family. He was obsessed with her and her life. He had kept an eye on her and on Mae, watching them even during their most private moments that she had thought she had only shared with her daughter and nobody else.

“How did I get here?” Felicity asked in a whisper, her voice hoarse. “I remember being in the kitchen and then everything just went black.”

“You had a panic attack,” Oliver told her, nodding his head. “After you passed out, Laurel called an ambulance. You were drifting in and out of consciousness. Whenever you woke up, you just panicked again. The paramedics gave you something to calm down a little. You’ve been sleeping the last few hours.”

Felicity nodded slowly before she asked, “What about Mae?”

“She saw,” Oliver told her, “but she’s okay. She’s with my mom and Walter now.”

Felicity nodded slowly, lowering her eyes. The last thing she would have wanted was for Mae to see her unconscious. For a child, seeing their parent so helpless had to be terrible. At least Felicity imagined it to be really terrible.

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye at that though. When Felicity lifted her hand to wipe the tear away, Oliver’s fingers were already there though. Taking in a trembling breath, Felicity rested her hand over Oliver’s on her cheek and leaned into his touch. Oliver leaned closer to her and kissed her temple.

“I’m so sorry.”

With his lips still against her skin, Oliver shook his head. When he pulled away slightly, he lifted her head, angling it back until Felicity was looking at him.

“This is not your fault,” Oliver told her, shaking his head. “None of this is your fault, so you have nothing to apologize for.”

Felicity wasn’t completely convinced about this, but she nodded her head nonetheless. Maybe it wasn’t her fault that she was stalked, but she should have followed Adrian’s advice and shouldn’t have opened that parcel without anyone checking it for her first. Her panic attack had hurt Mae and their unborn baby, or it could have hurt them at least. She knew that debating this with Oliver would only cost her energy that she didn’t have right now.

With her face still leaned into Oliver’s touch, Felicity took some deep breaths until she felt calmer. Kissing the palm of Oliver’s hand, she eventually straightened up more. She lowered her hand from her face, taking Oliver’s hand with her, so both of their hands rested on her bump where they could feel their baby moving.

“I got another gift.”

Oliver’s shoulders tensed at her words, and his facial expression darkened. Taking in a deep breath, he nodded his head though.

“Yeah, I know,” he whispered. “The police is taking care of it now. The detective in charge said that those guys are hard to find, especially when they don’t come from the close environment like a colleague or a turned down lover or something. They will do whatever they can to find out who this guy is and what he’s planning to do next.”

“What would they find that Adrian wasn’t able to find?”

“I don’t know.”

Felicity took in another deep breath and nodded her head. She needed a moment to process this news. The longer she thought about it, the more convinced she became that this was the right step though.

“I guess Adrian and the police working together is the best way to catch them.”

“Adrian is no longer working for us, Felicity.”

Felicity looked at Oliver with a frown, but he just held her gaze. The expression in his eyes was quiet and gentle. Felicity didn’t miss the anger that sparkled underneath though. She knew Oliver better than that.

“This wasn’t Adrian’s fault.”

“He was over challenged with this task,” Oliver stated firmly. “He didn’t manage to instruct his team appropriately, and, apparently, his security measures weren’t successful either. I mean there were pictures taken from the forest behind the mansion. Someone broke into my mother’s property, and he didn’t even notice. I think this might have been a little bit too much for him, and my mother agrees with me.”

“So Adrian was fired?”

Oliver nodded his head. “Yes. Adrian was fired.”

Felicity lowered her eyes, nodding her head slowly, though she didn’t exactly agree with Oliver. Adrian had tried his best, and he had put a lot of effort into protecting her. He had even worked a lot of extra shifts to make sure he had an eye on Felicity. She had felt comfortable with him, and she knew that it had been the same for Mae. Having Adrian by her side had almost felt like having a friend rather than a bodyguard at her side.

In all the years she had known the Queens, Felicity had gotten to know a lot of people who had worked for them. From all the people working to protect the family and their property, Adrian Chase had been the only one that had actually been a warm person. Actually, he had been the only one who had seemed like a person rather than a robot at all.

“We will find someone new who will-“

A knock at the door made Oliver stop. He shot Felicity a brief look, perking up his eyebrows. Felicity could see the wordless question if he was supposed to chase away whoever there was. Smiling, she squeezed his hands and just shook her head.

“Come in.”

“Mrs. Smoak-Queen, I am Dr. Schwartz,” the brunette woman said when she stepped in, shooting Felicity a brief smile, “I am your doctor.”

Felicity nodded her head, shooting Oliver a brief glance. Hospitals weren’t her favorite kind of places, and doctors weren’t her favorite kind of people. She hated everything about them, especially needles. So far, she hadn’t had much time to think about that. With Dr. Schwartz stepping to the foot of Felicity’s bed, it was hard not to think about that though. Oliver kissed her temple, comforting her.

“Now, how are you feeling?”

“Good,” Felicity said a beat too quickly, causing Dr. Schwartz to shoot her a disbelieving glance that made Felicity sigh. “At least I am better.”

“Any pain?”

“Just a headache. Nothing serious.”

Dr. Schwartz nodded briefly, casting Felicity another warm smile. She took a look at the monitors and took some notes on her tablet then, not saying a word. Felicity couldn’t deny that the silence made her a little bit nervous, but Oliver just squeezed her hand once more. Turning her head to look into his calm eyes, she felt herself relaxing a little.

“Mrs. Smoak-Queen, I am a little bit worried about you,” Dr. Schwartz said eventually, lowering the tablet and looking at Felicity. “Your blood pressure is too high.”

Felicity felt herself tensing. “I guess it’s the stress.”

“Probably,” Dr. Schwartz agreed and nodded her head. “The problem is that the high blood pressure puts your health and the baby’s health at risk. If we don’t manage to lower your blood pressure, you are at risk for developing further complications that might not only put you but also your baby at risk.”

“Like what?” Felicity asked.

“You can develop further breathing problems before and during the birth. The blood flow to the placenta can be affected and hence disturb the baby’s growth. You are at higher risk of placental abruption.” Dr. Schwartz made a brief pause. “There is no guarantee that any of this will happen, but there is a risk.”

“What do you advise?” Oliver asked before Felicity could, squeezing her fingers. “I mean there has to be something we can do, right?”

“Since the high blood pressure is probably caused by the stress, I advise to keep some rest, physically and emotionally.”

“Rest as in bed rest?”

Dr. Schwartz smiled. “As long as there are no bleedings or other complications, I don’t see why a strict bed rest would be necessary. Moderate movement is actually an important factor to help with the high blood pressure. Just make sure you get enough rest and keep a healthy diet.”

“I will make sure of that,” Oliver said. “Are you sure a full bed rest won’t be necessary though?”

“She said it won’t be necessary, so it won’t,” Felicity whispered towards Oliver before she turned back to Dr. Schwartz. “Thank you.”

“If you have any more questions, just let me know. I will check on you tomorrow morning, so we can discuss when you can go home,” the doctor said. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Felicity said and smiled at the doctor for a moment more. As soon as Dr. Schwartz turned around to walk to the door, Felicity leaned over to Oliver. “I like her.”

Oliver grumbled lowly, obviously not happy about Dr. Schwartz answer to his question. Felicity grinned at him triumphantly, feeling a little bit of relief that her panic attack hadn’t been too bad, but Oliver just scrunched up his nose.

“I am not so sure. I mean-“

“Oh, Mrs. Smoak-Queen?”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows, looking at the doctor once more. She had already reached the door, and her hand was wrapped around the door handle. Her warm eyes were focused on Felicity though.

“Are you still working?”

“Yes,” Felicity replied, nodding her head. “My work is very relaxing and, since I am spending a lot of time behind my desk, it also allows me to get a lot of rest. Moderate movement is possible too though since it’s a huge building.”

Dr. Schwartz nodded slowly, puckering her lips. “No more work until the baby is born.”

With that, she slipped out of the room before Felicity could even protest to her decision. Felicity stared at the closed door, not believing what had just happened. She loved her work, and she had really thought that she had another two to three weeks to make sure everything was ready for her baby leave.

“I take it back,” she said eventually. “She is terrible.”

“I actually just started liking her.”

Felicity rolled her eyes until she was looking at Oliver. He was smiling at her innocently. When Felicity just smiled and lowered her eyes, he chuckled. Pulling his hands to his lips, he kissed first her right and then her left hand.

“It’s just for a few weeks,” he told her. “You will just lean back a little and relax until the baby is born, and I am going to take very good care of you.”

When Felicity lowered her gaze to the bump, she smiled softly and stroked a hand over the soft rounding. The baby was still moving, but Felicity could almost feel him falling asleep under her hand.

“I hope you know that I am doing all of this just for you.”

Oliver puckered his lips. “And maybe a little bit for me?”

Felicity shot him a unimpressed side glance. “No, just for him.”

“For her.”

Narrowing her eyes, Felicity looked at Oliver. He had only whispered the words, but Felicity had still heard them. When Oliver chuckled, leaning in and kissing her temple once more, Felicity joint into his chuckle.

With a long sigh, Felicity eventually leaned back in the pillows. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to chase away the tiredness and exhaustion that was suddenly making themselves felt. She glanced at her watch, groaned when she was that it was only seven when it already felt like it was at least midnight.

“Are you tired?” Oliver asked.

Felicity sighed, turning onto her side. She pulled at the lapels of Oliver’s leather jacket until he was lying down next to her. Felicity doubted that the position was very comfortable for him, so her bump urged him to the edge of the mattress where he could barely keep her balance. She was too tired to care though, and she just felt so safe and comfortable in his arms. With her head on his shoulder, she smiled at him tiredly.

“Will you hold me until I fall asleep?”

“I will hold you as long as you want me to, most likely forever.”

Felicity smiled softly. Today had been crazy, and she could still feel her fear deep in her bones. Right now, just lying here with Oliver, she felt utterly comfortable and well-protected though. She knew that, as long as she was lying in his arms, nothing could happen to her.

Just when Oliver leaned in to brush his lips against hers, a knock of the door disturbed the intimate moment though. Oliver groaned, causing Felicity to chuckle and rest her forehead against his chest. He would never like being interrupted while kissing her.

“Yes.”

Even this single small syllable couldn’t hide Oliver’s annoyance. It only made Felicity snuggle closer to him, stroking her hand over his chest soothingly.

“Hi.”

At the sound of Tommy’s voice, Felicity turned her head. He was stepping into the hospital room with his usual cheerful smile. He carried a bag Felicity recognized from home in one hand. His other hand was holding onto Laurel’s hand as she stepped into the room after him.

“Hey,” Felicity said with a tired smile. “What are you two doing here?”

“Checking on you of course,” Tommy said, “and bringing you some clothes and other stuff.”

“That’s great.” Felicity looked down at herself and tugged at the hospital gown she was wearing. “This thing is not really my style.”

Tommy chuckled. “I thought so though you can really wear it. You make it look like fashion.”

“Oh, I surely do.”

Felicity smiled when Tommy winked at her. While their friendship might not be as deep as it had been during that year Oliver had been gone from their lives, the bond they shared was still strong. Tommy knew her well, and he always found ways to cheer her up.

“Did you bring my tablet?”

“Felicity,” Oliver said with soft voice. “You heard the doctor.”

“Who said I wanted to work?”

Oliver shot Felicity a glance, wordlessly telling her that he didn’t believe her if she wanted to say that she didn’t want to work.

“No tablet in the hospital,” Tommy said, “but everything else you need should be here.”

“We also brought Mae some stuff to the mansion,” Laurel added. “I know she has everything at the mansion too, but we thought it might be better if she has her usual stuff there. Besides, we really wanted to check on her and see if there was anything we could do for her.”

“How was Mae doing when you were there?”

Laurel and Tommy exchanged a brief glance. They both almost looked a little bit uncomfortable at the question like they didn’t want to tell Felicity the truth. The thought made her stomach twist.

“That bad?” she asked. “Really?”

“She was scared of course,” Tommy replied eventually, shrugging his shoulders, “but it’s not that bad.”

“Tommy’s right,” Laurel agreed, nodding her head. “Besides, Raisa wanted to distract her when we left. I think baking cookies or whatever and filling her tummy with sweets is going to comfort her.”

Felicity nodded, but it didn’t chase away the bitter taste on her mouth. She didn’t doubt that Walter, Moira and Raisa would do anything in their power to distract Mae from what had happened. That didn’t change the fact that, she was certainly scared and could probably need a parent to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

Angling her head back, she looked at Oliver. He perked up his eyebrows, wordlessly prompting her to say whatever she needed. Of course he could see in her face already that she wanted to ask something of him.

“You have to go to the mansion and take care of Mae.”

Oliver frowned. “What? No. My mom is with her, and we know she will just spoil her to no end. She is taken care of. I will-“

“Oliver,” Felicity interrupted him and looked at him intently. “Please.”

There was a long beat of silence. Felicity could feel Laurel and Tommy watching them, but she blocked that out. All she focused on was Oliver. She was having a wordless conversation with him. They often did that.

Felicity knew that Oliver didn’t want to leave her side. After what had happened today, he needed to make sure that she and their baby was alright, so his instinct told him to stay right at her side. He could only protect her if he was close to her, and he needed to protect her after she had been hurt so badly.

At the same time, Oliver wanted to do everything that Felicity asked of him. He knew that Mae needed a parent by her side right now, someone to tell her that everything was going to be okay. She needed someone she could believe, and that someone was Oliver.

He knew he should go, but he really didn’t want to leave her side.

“We will stay here all night,” Tommy said eventually, breaking the silence. “We are going to stay here for as long as necessary.”

Oliver still didn’t look exactly enthusiastic about the prospect of leaving her side. His jaws tensed, and his arms tightened around her. When Felicity perked up her eyebrows, he released a defeated sigh and nodded his head though.

“Okay,” he whispered, breathing the word out oh so quietly. “Okay.”

Felicity smiled despite the way her stomach twisted painfully. She knew Mae needed Oliver now. Felicity needed Oliver too, but Mae’s needs were just more important. As a mother, she would always put the needs of her children above her own.

Oliver tightened his arms around her once more. He kissed her forehead before he finally let go of her with a sigh. He rolled out of bed and straightened up.

“I will be back here tomorrow morning,” he said firmly.

Felicity nodded. “Maybe Mae can come with you.”

Oliver nodded. “Yes, that’s probably a good idea.”

He grabbed his keys from the small table next to her bed and straightened his shoulders. Taking in a deep breath, he looked at Felicity. She cast him a smile, but Oliver didn’t smile back at her. He tried to, but the tension in his face didn’t allow him to.

“Kiss Mae goodnight from me,” Felicity whispered, “and tell her that I love her very much.”

“I will.”

Oliver stepped to the bed once more and stroked his hand over Felicity’s hair. With a sigh, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss then. Felicity sighed, losing herself in the gentles of the kiss. She wanted to memorize the feeling, so it could take her to the night because she knew that, without Oliver by her side, she certainly wouldn’t be able to sleep.

“I love you.”

As soon as he had said those words, his lips brushed against hers once more. It was just a small kiss, a little reminder, just to emphasize that he really meant it.

“I love you too.”

Oliver was visibly unwilling to go. She could see it in the way his muscles tensed more with every step he took towards the door and with the way he continued to shoot her glances as he was walking. Only when he had reached the door, he turned around to her more fully once more. He took in a deep breath.

“Tomorrow morning,” he whispered.

Felicity smiled, nodding her head. “Tomorrow morning.”

Blowing her a kiss, Oliver eventually left the room. A long sigh escaped Felicity’s lips, and she rested back in the pillows. Turning back onto her back, she stared at the ceiling. Being separated from her family for a couple of hours was not a rareness for her, but she would never get used to the feeling. It would always bother her not to be around them.

When something was dropped onto her legs, Felicity frowned. She straightened up a little since the baby bump was in the way. Seeing her tablet resting on her legs, she looked at Tommy with surprise. He was looking away, trying to look completely innocent. When his eyes eventually found hers, he narrowed his eyes at her playfully.

“Don’t you dare tell Ollie about this.”

 

* * *

 

As soon as his car came to a stop in front of his mother’s mansion, Oliver switched off the engine and leaned back in the seat with a sigh. He closed his eyes and gripped the steering wheel so tightly that the knuckles of his hands turned white. Closing his eyes, Oliver took some deep breaths.

A whirlwind of different emotions was storming inside of his chest, making it hard to breathe. He was sad that something like this had happened, angry that the stalker was still out there and worried about Felicity’s and the baby’s health. He knew that a high blood pressure was responsible for up to 15% of the complications that killed the mother.

The shock about what had happened was still omnipresent, and it was still deep-seated. He had just made a joke to Tommy, a stupid joke he couldn’t even remember, when Laurel had called him. The moment he had seen her name on the display of his phone, he had known that something was not alright. His heart had been racing even before he had dropped everything and rushed to the hospital.

While he had been waiting in the hospital, waiting for Felicity to wake up, Oliver had thought back to a night a couple of years ago. He and Felicity had been lying in bed together, telling each other what they had been through the year they had spent apart after the Gambit had gone down. She had told him that, when she had received the news about the Gambit’s sinking, she had passed out in the kitchen while Mae had been crying in her highchair. Oliver hadn’t been able to help himself. He had had to think about that conversation.

He and Felicity had been through a lot since they had fallen in love. Oliver had believed nothing could really shock him anymore, but this stalker did. He did shock him. He had gotten so close to his family, much closer than Oliver had thought any danger could get to them. It unsettled him more than he was admitting to himself.

When the front door opened and Walter stepped out, Oliver released a long breath. He had learned to respect and even like Walter over the years. Walter was a good man, and he was great to all of them. Oliver knew that his mother and Thea loved Walter very much. He would never be able to replace his dad though.

A not so small part of him wished that his dad was here now. His dad, despite all the mistakes he had made, had always done everything necessary to protect his family. He would certainly know how to deal with this tight feeling in his chest without projecting it onto Felicity or Mae. It was the last thing Oliver wanted.

“How’s Felicity?” Walter asked the moment Oliver got out of the car. “Are she and the baby okay?”

“They are okay,” Oliver said, nodding his head. “The constant stress has effects on Felicity’s health. Her blood pressure is too high, so she has to take some time to rest. It’s going to be okay though. They are both going to be okay.”

Walter nodded. “Mae can of course stay here for as long as you need her to stay here. Your mother is already working on hiring someone new to take care of security. As far as I know, she already has someone in mind, but I am not sure if it’s going to work out. If there is anything else we can do to help you, just let us know.”

“Felicity has to stop working right away, so-“

“I will take care of that,” Walter said firmly. “Don’t worry about it, and tell Felicity not to worry about anything too. I have been working with Felicity long enough to know that she is organized so well that there won’t be any problems. Even if there were, the only thing that matters is that Felicity catches the rest she needs now.”

“Thank you, Walter.”

Walter just shot him a brief glance and nodded his head once more. He gestured for Oliver to step into the house first, and Oliver cast him a polite smile. He walked over the doorstep, stepping into the house he had grown up in.

“Mae is upstairs in her room,” Walter explained before Oliver had to ask. “Your mother is putting to her bed.”

Walter squeezed Oliver’s shoulder in a comforting gesture before he turned around to leave. Before he was able to take more than two steps, Oliver held him back though.

“Walter.”

Walter stopped, turning back around to Oliver with perked up eyebrows. Oliver took in a deep breath before he let go of the newel he had been holding onto and crossed the distance towards his stepfather. Walter looked surprised at that, and it took Oliver a moment to realize that, although Walter had been a part of the family for years now, they had hardly ever talked alone.

“I just wanted to thank you.”

“You already did.”

“Yeah,” Oliver replied with a little bit of a chuckle and massaged the back of his neck uncomfortably. “I don’t mean just for your offer to help me but also everything you have done for my family. For our family. Your position isn’t easy, and I am sure I didn’t make it easy either.”

“Oliver, I know your father’s death ripped a hole into this family that can never be filled, so I am not even trying to,” Walter said calmly. “I am just taking the place in the family that all of you allow me to take, and I am grateful for whatever place you can make for me.”

“You are a good friend to Felicity. I know she really appreciates you and everything you have taught her about the company and other things, and Mae loves you.”

“Felicity is a skilled woman, and Mae is an amazing little girl.”

“Yes, she is.”

Oliver smiled softly. His heart always filled with warmth when someone complimented Felicity or Mae. He was incredibly proud of them, so he appreciated it anyone who saw how amazing they were.

“You should go upstairs,” Walter said softly, nodding to the stairs. “I am sure Mae wants to see you.”

Oliver nodded, reaching out his hand. Walter smiled, obviously happy about this, and shook Oliver’s hand firmly. Neither of them said a word, but there was no need for anything to be said anyway. Everything that was important had been said already.

Taking in a deep breath, Oliver walked upstairs. From the hallway, he could hear Mae reading out a story. She loved reading bedtime stories out loud herself instead of letting someone read them for her. _The story of Ferdinand_ was her favorite bedtime story right now. She always said she was actually too old for it, but she loved the story anyway. Oliver loved the book although he could almost recite it from memory.

When Mae had to interrupt her sentence because a long yawn escaped her lips, Oliver stepped into the frame of the door and chuckled.

“Someone really has to go to bed.”

“Daddy!”

Closing the book and throwing it to the end of the bed, Mae got up and just jumped into Oliver’s arms. She had to jump over her grandmother, she was lying in bed next to her, and her feet almost hit against Moira’s head since she was just sitting up.

“Careful, Mae,” Oliver said quietly, but his arms already wrapped around Mae firmly, holding her to his chest as tightly as possible. “Hi, Sweetie.”

Mae’s fingers clawed into his leather jacket, and she hid her face against side of his neck. She was more than just relieved to have her daddy here now. Oliver could feel that she had been very scared, and she was only feeling really safe now that her daddy was back with her.

“How is Felicity?” Moira asked softly. “Is she okay?”

Oliver’s eyes met his mother’s gaze. He could see that she was worried. The little frown between her eyebrows that always showed there when she was worried gave her away. Still, she moved her hands over her shirt to make sure she looked neat. It was one of her nervous ticks, just like Oliver always rubbed his fingers together when he was nervous.

“Mommy’s fine,” Oliver said and kissed Mae’s cheek, “and the baby is fine too. All they need to do is get some rest.”

“So when is mommy coming home?” Mae asked, leaning back in his arms. “Can she come back soon?”

“We don’t know that yet, but I am sure that it won’t take too long,” Oliver replied. “The doctors said she will tell us tomorrow, so you and I will go visit mommy right after breakfast tomorrow.”

“What about school?”

Oliver smiled. “I think you can skip school for once.”

“Cool!”

“Just this once,” Oliver said and kissed her cheek once more, “and only if you get into bed and sleep now.”

Mae took a look back over her shoulder to make sure nothing and nobody was in the way. Since her grandmother had already gotten up and placed the book back on the bookshelf, Mae just let herself fall back, out of Oliver’s arms and directly into bed. She bounced up and down on the mattress a couple of times, already pulling the blanket over herself.

“I am ready to fall asleep.”

Oliver chuckled. Resting his hands to both sides of her head, he leaned over her face. Her eyes were rimmed red, and there were dark shadows on the skin under her eyes. She had certainly cried a lot today, so it had been a long day for her too.

“I love you, Mae.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” Oliver said and leaned down with a smile on his lips to kiss Mae’s forehead. He was about to pull back already when he remembered something and added, “Oh, and mommy loves you very much too. She wanted me to tell you that, and she wanted me to give you this.”

He leaned down once more and kissed Mae right on the lips. She giggled, pushing him away at his chin half-heartedly.

“Your stubble tickles.”

Oliver smiled. “Yeah, mommy always said the same thing. Goodnight, Sweetie.”

“Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Granny.”

“Sleep tight, Madeleine. If you need anything, we are just downstairs.”

Mae nodded and turned onto her side, making herself comfortable to fall asleep. Oliver smiled at her from the door once more before he switched off the light and followed his mother out of the bedroom.

As soon as he had closed the door behind him, a long sigh fell from his lips. He was exhausted from everything that had happened today. The worry about his family had sucked off a lot of energy from his body.

“Everything alright?” Moira asked, stroking her hand up and down his back comfortingly. “Are Felicity and the baby really alright?”

“Yes, they are fine.” Oliver nodded his head. “They just need the rest.”

“So do you,” Moira said, “so maybe you should-“

“I just need to know who this is.” Oliver’s hands formed to fists. “If someone-“

“Daddy, I can’t sleep if you talk!”

Oliver glanced back over his shoulder at the closed door and took in a deep breath.

“Sorry, Sweetie,” he said. “Granny and I will go downstairs.”

With a nod of his head, he beckoned his mother to come with him. Moira shot another glance back at the door to Mae’s room before she nodded and followed Oliver towards the stairs. She was casting him worried gazes, but Oliver tried to ignore it. The painful twisting in his stomach was bad enough as it was.

“Did the police already find out anything new?”

“No,” Moira replied with a sigh. “I called the captain of the SCPD. They are following some leads, but he didn’t sound very hopeful.”

Oliver nodded, feeling his muscles tensed. He wouldn’t rest until they found out who had done this. If someone was threatening his family, that someone had to be found and locked away. He wouldn’t have a calm minute otherwise.

“The police still needs to talk to Felicity, but I told them they should wait until tomorrow,” Moira said with soft voice. “I doubt the police will be much help in this, so I think we have to take further actions.”

Oliver nodded. “And this time there should be someone in charge who knows what he’s doing.”

His anger about Adrian Chase’s incompetence still bothered him a lot. He and Felicity had both trusted him, but his lack of experience in cases like this had only endangered them more. Someone with more experience might have already stopped this guy.

“I actually have a candidate for that position already,” Moira told him, “and I am sure this person is much more skilled and the perfect guy for the job.”

“Who is it?”

“Your good friend John Diggle.”

Oliver stopped on the middle of the stairs. “John?”

“Yes, he and his family are moving to Starling.”

Oliver frowned slightly. When he had last talked to John last week, he hadn’t mentioned that he wanted to move here. As far as Oliver knew, the Diggles were quite happy with their life in Boston. They had never moved away from there. He hadn’t even known that they had considered it, never mind considered moving to Starling City.

“Was that their plan all along or did he decide that because of Felicity?”

The Diggles had been more than friends to Felicity and him. During their college time, Lyla and John had lived in the same house and had taken care of Mae while Oliver and Felicity had been in their classes. They had also supported them with a lot of advices when it came to parenting and relationships. Leaving their friends in Boston had been the only drop of bitterness for Oliver and Felicity when they had moved back to Starling after graduating college.

“It was their plan for a while actually,” Moira said with a soft smile. “I was trying to help him find a job here since I know a lot of people that need security. I offered them the position as head of security a few months back, but he didn’t want to mix job and friendship. I guess what happened to Felicity changed his mind.”

Oliver nodded slowly. John really was the best man for this job. He had a lot of experience in the security branch, and he cared about Felicity deeply. Oliver was sure that he was a much better fit than Adrian Chase had been.

“Did you find an agreement with Adrian Chase about a possible compensation?”

When his mother looked at him with surprise, Oliver sighed. He put his hand on her elbow and led her down the rest of the stairs. He didn’t want to risk that Mae was hearing anything more about what was really happening around her.

“Felicity doesn’t think it’s fair that he got fired, so I am sure she’d be relieved if she knew that Chase didn’t end up with empty hands.” Oliver sighed. “I just want her to feel comfortable. If that is what’s necessary, then please do it. It’s just money.”

“If it’s important to Felicity, I will take care of that.”

When they stepped into the living room, Walter looked up from the newspaper he had been reading in. He folded it together neatly and dropped it on the coffee table.

“What will you take care of?”

“Adrian Chase will receive a compensation,” Moira said. She sat down next to her husband, placing a hand on his thigh, and shot him a strict glance. “Don’t say you told me so.”

“I wouldn’t dare to.”

Oliver watched his mother and stepfather, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans. Weirdly, the picture they made reminded him a lot of Felicity and him. The way they looked at each other with so much warmth in their eyes while they were teasing each other, leaning into each other’s side – it was exactly what he and Felicity would do.

“Raisa asked if you wanted dinner,” Walter said. “She-“

“I am not hungry.” Oliver shook his head, leaning back on the couch with a sigh. “But thanks.”

“Of course,” Moira replied. “You might have moved out a long time ago, but this will always be a home for you. Maybe you could all move in here for the rest of the pregnancy. It’s safer here and-“

“I appreciate the offer, but no.”

His mother looked surprise at the answer. She frowned, cocking her head slightly. Her lips were spread to a warm smile though.

“Oliver-“

“Mom, what Mae needs right now is normality,” he said. “What happened today unsettled her even if she is trying to hide it. She needs stability, and the best place to give her that is home.”

Moira sighed, hiding her disappointment behind a smile. Oliver knew his mother well enough to know that she would have probably liked them to move in here. She missed Thea, especially because the house was too quiet now. She was grateful whenever there were more people in the house and she was kept busy here, so the memories she had of her life before her first husband had died weren’t accompanying her through the day. Oliver got that, but he couldn’t let that have an influence on his decision.

When Walter’s phone rang, he excused himself and left the room quickly. Moira looked after him for a moment before she slid closer to the side of the couch where Oliver was sitting. With a warm smile on her lips, she took his hand and held it between both of hers. Oliver smiled at her tiredly.

“I am very proud of you, Oliver,” she said with quiet voice, “and I know that your father would say the same thing if he was here.”

“You think?” Oliver asked. “I don’t feel like I have done a lot lately. I mean I can’t even protect my family.”

Sometimes Oliver wished he could take Felicity and Mae and just lock himself in a room with them forever. That way they could live in their own little bubble where nothing could ever happen to them. Unfortunately, that would never be possible.

“You are here, and that is much more important,” Moira told him. “You have handled this situation with a lot of responsibility. You have been here and supported your family. You haven’t run. There was a time you would have found ways to avoid this entire situation because it would have been too much for you.”

Oliver took in a deep breath, nodding his head. He had been over challenged a lot of times in his life, and he had always run. When Felicity had told him she was pregnant, he had run. When she had said that she wanted to go to MIT, he had run. When he had felt like he was missing out on the normal college life, he had run. When everything had overwhelmed him after coming back from the island, he had run.

Running had always been the one mechanism he had used to protect himself. Whenever he had felt overwhelmed, unsure what was right or what he wanted, he had run. He knew exactly what he wanted no though, so there was no more running.

“It’s been a long time,” Oliver whispered. “I know where my place is now, and it’s with my family. I just want them as close as possible and make sure they are alright.”

“And that makes you a good husband and a great father.”

“I hope so.”

Moira squeezed his hand. “I know so.”

There was a long moment of comfortably silence, and Oliver felt a little bit of joy spreading in his chest. It hadn’t always been like this between him and his mother. There had been a lot of tensions and a lot of distrust between them, especially from Oliver’s side. After his mother had tried to offer Felicity money so she would take Mae and leave, it had been hard to forgive her. After everything she had done for his family, the good things had outweighed the bad things though.

Oliver pushed that thought away. He didn’t have the energy to think about all those things right now. His focus needed to be on what was happening here and not what had happened years ago.

“It’s been a long day,” he said. “I will go to bed, so I am fit for tomorrow.”

“Of course.” His mother smiled at him. “Goodnight, Oliver.”

Oliver smiled and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Goodnight, Mom, and thank you for everything.”

“Always.”

He didn’t give his mother the chance to say anything else. He turned around and quickly walked upstairs. He headed towards the bedroom that had already been his when he had been a kid. He already had his hand on the handle when he stopped and turned around to go into the room at the opposite side of the hallway instead.

He opened the door as quietly as possible, sneaking a look inside. He hadn’t expected to find Mae asleep, but he was a little surprised when she turned her head and looked at him with wake eyes. She was as far from sleep as a person could be despite the tiredness he could see written all over her face.

“You are still awake.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“I thought so, and I doubt I will be able to sleep.” Oliver nodded. “Mind if I sneak into your bed, and we lie awake together?”

A wide smile spread on Mae’s lips. She slid back in bed and lifted the blanket to make room for Oliver. He took off his shoes and jacket and climbed into bed, letting Mae wrap the blanket around him and snuggle to his chest.

“Do you miss mommy?”

Oliver smiled about the question, nodding his head. “Yes, very much.”

“I miss her too.”

With a sigh, Oliver kissed Mae’s forehead, hoping it would comfort her a little. Sometimes it still surprised him that she was dealing with Felicity’s absence so well. She had spent a year with just her mother after all.

“Daddy?”

“Hm?”

“Can we talk a little before we sleep?”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Oliver agreed. “You could tell me about all the fun you had with granny and Raisa today.”

Mae told him about all the ways his mother had spoilt her today, and they continued whispering to each other for a long time after that. Oliver shared memories of his childhood with her, and she told him all the things she wanted to do once she was a grown up. They talked for at least an hour until Mae finally fell asleep.

Oliver tightened his hold on his sleeping daughter, kissing her forehead once more. He was tired, and he knew that he should actually sleep now too. Tommy and Laurel were with Felicity. Mae was safely wrapped in his arms. Everyone was safe, so he could just close his eyes and fall asleep. It was certainly the best he could do because he would need a lot of energy these next days.

Still, sleep refused to come for him that night. Someone was out there, threatening the domestic bliss they had settled in. How should he sleep with that threat in the back of his mind?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I have another class review coming up next week, and the teacher that is supervising me has super high expectations that I am probably failing every single day. Long story short, I am snowed in with work and have barely any time to do anything. I am just sleeping and working and it sucks!

“I am bored.”

Oliver shot a brief look back over his shoulder to where Felicity was lying in bed. She was shifting on the mattress, trying to rearrange the pillows around herself to be more comfortable in the new position. She leaned back with a sigh for exactly two seconds before she started finding a better position to lie in already.

Shaking his head slightly, Oliver turned back and continued to unpack the bag Felicity had brought back with her from the hospital. He had tried to help her finding a comfortable position, placing pillows under her bump and between her legs like he knew she liked, but nothing seemed to satisfy her today. Since he couldn’t help her, he rather focused on doing the housework.

“I can’t lie anymore,” Felicity said eventually. “There are no comfortable positions. I have been lying forever now.”

Oliver chuckled, turning back to Felicity and cocking his head at her. She was half sitting and half lying in bed, looking lost between the pool of pillows around her.

“Felicity,” Oliver said with gentle voice, “It’s only been thirty minutes.”

“I have already been lying in the hospital for three days though.”

Oliver smiled comfortingly. Closing the drawer of the dresser, he went over to the bed. Pulling some pillows from the mattress and dropping them onto the floor until he had more room, he crawled into bed and lay down next to her. Felicity perked up an eyebrow at him, asking what he was doing without saying a word. Oliver just winked at her though.

Pushing one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees, Oliver pulled her closer. He sat her down right next to him with her legs stretched out over his. He kept his arm around her shoulders, so she was leaning into his side, her bump pressing against his abs so tightly that Oliver could feel their baby’s movements against his muscles. Her chin rested on his shoulder, so he could feel her breath against the side of her neck.

Oliver turned his head to look at her. He tried not to let his amusement about the grumpy expression on Felicity’s face show too much. He knew that being amused would only get him into trouble with her.

“Better?” he asked.

Felicity scrunched up her nose and let out a grumpy sound that was probably a mixture of a sigh and a grunt. It was actually all the answer Oliver needed, but Felicity added nonetheless, “Not even a bit.”

“Aw, poor baby.”

Pursing her lips, Felicity punched his chest. It was a playful punch, not as hard as he knew she could actually punch, but it was hard enough to surprise him. With a frown, Oliver rubbed his hand over his chest and looked at Felicity.

“Hey, you weren’t this opposed to spending days in bed during our honeymoon,” Oliver said. “I gladly remind you of the day I wanted to take you for a hike in the wonderful nature of Bali, and you only rolled your eyes and turned around in bed, saying you were only going to leave it again when Mae’s arrival forced you to.”

Oliver remembered that day very well. He had been excited to take Felicity out for that hike. For him, the thought of seeing a little bit of the world with her had been very romantic. Felicity’s aversion to leaving the bed had disappointed him a little bit, but she had made up for it thoroughly. They had done the hike during their second week of honeymooning with Mae then.

The memory made Oliver smile. No matter how much he had wanted to do that hike with her that day, it didn’t matter. All he had really wanted was spending time with Felicity, and they had spent their time together in the best way possible.

When Oliver turned his head to look at Felicity, he frowned. He had wanted to tell her that she should just imagine that this was their honeymoon and her only options were staying in bed or going on a long hike with him. Seeing the sadness on her face, he kept that comment to himself though.

“Hey,” he said with gentle voice, and it made Felicity lift her gaze to look at him. “Talk to me.”

Usually, those were the words Felicity said to him. He was the one who hesitated to share his thoughts and feelings with her a lot of time. She wouldn’t let him have any of it though. She would ask him to talk to her and tell her what was going on because she wanted to understand what was on his mind. Maybe for the first time, he really understood why that was the case.

“There is a difference between not wanting to leave the bed and not being able to leave the bed,” Felicity said, her voice lowered to a whisper. “I know it looks like it’s the same, but it’s just not.”

Oliver nodded his head slowly. He tightened his arm around her shoulders, kissing the crown of her head. Pushing his nose against her hair, he breathed her in and closed his eyes.

It would be a lie to say that he understood what she was going through, but it wasn’t like he didn’t understand her at all either. He might have never been in the situation she was in, being forced to stay in bed all day every day for weeks, but he could imagine what it had to be like for her. At least as much as empathy allowed him to understand her, he did.

“I know this really, really sucks,” he whispered gently, all amusement gone from his voice, “but it’s just for a few weeks. We have four weeks to go in this pregnancy, so all you have to do is being strong for four weeks. I know that I’m asking a lot of you, but I have to ask it for your and the baby’s sake. I will support you in every way I can. I will make life in bed as comfortable for you as I can. I wish I could do more, but that’s all I can do. Unfortunately.”

Oliver looked at Felicity’s face, watching the different emotions flashing over her face while she was processing his words. After a long moment, she took in a sniffling breath. She lowered her eyes, angling her head forward to press her nose against his shoulder and breathe her in like he had before. Oliver just stroked his hands up and down her thighs comfortingly.

She had been released from the hospital this morning after she had originally been supposed to leave yesterday already. Some slight vaginal bleedings had prompted Dr. Schwartz to keep her in the hospital for a day longer though. When she had finally agreed to let Felicity go home, she had emphasized that the rest she had advised Felicity to have should now be a strict bedrest after all.

Technically, Oliver knew that this was mainly a security measure for Felicity’s and the baby’s health. Even Dr. Schwartz herself had said that they shouldn’t worry too much, and she just wanted to make sure that they were being careful. As much as Oliver reminded himself of that, he couldn’t help but make sure those advises were followed strictly though.

The thought that something could happen to Felicity or the baby made his stomach twist painfully. He knew that, at least for him, it was easy to say that they needed to follow the doctor’s advice. It was Felicity whose life was affected the most. She was the one whose life was going to take place in their bedroom and only their bedroom for the next weeks. He would just have to up his game on spoiling her. So, he knew that it was easy for him to say that they should follow Dr. Schwartz’ advices. It was still important to him though.

“Hey.”

At Felicity’s quiet whisper, Oliver looked at her. She had rested her chin back against his shoulder, looking at his face. The expression on her face was calm. Despite the glimpse of sadness in her eyes, she was smiling at him comfortingly. Her hand was resting over his heart, and her fingers spread over his chest.

“I will be nice and spend those four weeks in bed,” Felicity told him. “I will complain about it again and again, but I know why it’s necessary. Don’t worry about me. I know I am complaining on a high level here.”

She took his hand from her thigh and rested it against the side of her bump where he could feel their baby moving. Their little girl was quite awake right now. Not for the first time Oliver wondered if those strong kicks didn’t hurt Felicity at all. Against his hands, at least they surprised him every time.

“I know this is not what you hoped for. It’s not what I hoped for either,” Oliver told her, resting his forehead against hers, “but if it’s the best was to keep you and the baby safe, I will insist on following Dr. Schwartz’ orders.”

“I know.” Felicity nodded. “And I will follow those instructions as much as I can.”

Oliver took in a deep breath, smiling at her. “Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for.”

Felicity pulled at the neckline of his shirt, and Oliver gave in easily. He leaned down and angled his head towards her. Their lips brushed together in a gentle kiss that made Oliver sigh and tighten his hold on Felicity. He wanted to deepen the kiss and pull Felicity onto him to make out wit her, but he knew that bedrest indeed meant resting in bed rather than having sex there.

When they broke the kiss, Oliver rolled his lips together and let his tongue dart out. He could still taste Felicity on his lips. Smiling, he lowered his eyes to look at her face. Felicity was looking at him, but she didn’t smile like she usually did. Instead, she was frowning at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said with a sigh, shaking her head. “I was just wondering if there is anything new about… our situation yet.”

Oliver sighed and kissed the crown of her head. His right hand squeezed her shoulder while his left hand was moving over her belly. Sometimes, Oliver forgot that there was still a stalker sitting in the back of their neck and threatening them. Whenever he remembered or was reminded of that though, he felt his chest tighten and the tension in his muscles increasing.

“No, there is nothing new,” Oliver said. “The police can’t find out where the parcel has come from or anything. They did manage to find out that the last phone calls you received came from a different number than the last calls. They found out who this number belonged to, and, at least officially, that’s a guy named Johnny Cash in Indianapolis, so nothing that sounds remotely true. The good news is there isn’t anything new from the stalker either. There were no more texts or calls or gifts either. Nothing.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes at him, scrutinizing his face. She didn’t look like she believed him. The longer she was looking at his face, the more Oliver felt like she was waiting for him to release a long sigh and tell her all the ways that stalker was actually tormenting their family while they were talking.

“There isn’t anything, Felicity,” he said reassuringly. “I would tell you if there was. I promise.”

Felicity continued looking at him for another long moment, still looking for any sign that he wasn’t telling the truth. Only when it seemed like she hadn’t been able to find any, she nodded her head. With a sigh, she rested her head against his shoulder and melted into his side.

Oliver knew how much the thought that this stalker was still out there, stressed Felicity out. She tried not to show it, just like Oliver tried not to show it. They both wanted to protect each other, Mae and the baby from the fear they were feeling. They didn’t want to make it worse for the other.

“Maybe it’s over this time,” Felicity whispered. “I mean maybe, whoever did this, really thought it was fun. Only when I was admitted to the hospital, he realized that maybe it wasn’t this much fun for us.”

It sounded like a rational explanation, and Oliver really wanted to believe that Felicity was right. These last two weeks, there had been too much up and down for him to be so hopeful after such a short time. Maybe it was over, but maybe the stalker was already planning his next attack on them. Of course he hoped it was different, but he didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, especially not to any conclusions that could make them negligent and get them in danger.

Oliver stroked his hand over her hair gently before he kissed the crown of her head. He rested his chin there and smiled when he felt some hairs get caught in his stubble.

“It’s a little too soon to say that, I guess,” Oliver whispered. “Time will tell.”

With a long sigh, Felicity nodded her head. She snuggled her cheek against his shoulder, making herself even more comfortable it seemed. Oliver couldn’t see her face, but she looked tired, almost like she was about to fall asleep. Oliver wasn’t surprised. He was sure that she hadn’t slept much lately, especially since she hated hospitals so much.

He was just about to close his eyes and nap a little with Felicity. Now was their only chance to catch some rest before they would go to sleep tonight. Tommy would pick up Mae from school and drop her here soon. As soon as he had closed his eyes, the loud grumble that came from Felicity’s stomach made him snap his eyes open and chuckle.

“Okay, I guess it’s time for me to get back to my responsibility as a good husband and make sure my family is taken care of,” Oliver said and kissed the crown of her head once more. “What can I get you?”

The moment Felicity angled her head back and looked at him with sparkling eyes and her bottom lip caught between her front teeth, Oliver knew that he wouldn’t like her answer.

“Burgers.”

Oliver sighed, rolling his eyes. He didn’t understand how a person could love burgers so much. In a world of so many delicious foods, how could she just limit herself to one single kind of food? If it was up to Oliver, he would barely ever eat the same dish twice. There were too many different combinations of foods that sounded promising to waste a meal with a version you had already tried before. Raisa’s lasagna was probably the only exception to that.

“Felicity, what do I always tell you?”

“That you love me and can’t say no to me?”

Oliver faltered briefly before he chuckled. He shook his head though he couldn’t deny that he really loved saying that to her.

“The other thing.”

Felicity rolled her eyes, releasing a grumble. She murmured the words, but she spoke so faintly that Oliver couldn’t understand her. From the look on her face, he was sure that she had done so on purpose. Perking up his eyebrows, he asked for her to repeat the words more loudly this time. Felicity sighed.

“I am married to a chef. I do not get to eat junk food more often than once a month.”

“And I am pretty sure you have already eaten a lot of junk food this month.”

“Yes, because I deserved it,” Felicity replied, stroking her hand over her baby belly, “and because the baby was hungry for it. Besides, I am sick, and I always get whatever food I want when I am sick.”

Oliver puckered his lips, releasing a hum. He knew she was just trying to coax him into giving in, so she got her burgers. Admittedly, she had gotten her will like that a lot of times lately. It was hard to resist Felicity if she was just fluttering her eyelashes, but it was getting a lot harder when she was stroking her hands over her belly and remind him that she was carrying their baby.

While Oliver usually gave in, especially because he knew he had no right to tell her what to eat anyway and they were just joking around with that it was a little bit different now. Dr. Schwartz had advised them to make sure Felicity was keeping a balanced diet after all.

“I’ll see what the fridge holds.”

Felicity grumbled, scrunching up her nose. He kissed the tip of it and pecked her lips before he pulled away. When he was at the door, he glanced back over his shoulder to see that Felicity was already busy trying to find a new position again. He felt sorry for her, but he knew he couldn’t help. Grabbing the empty hamper to take with him, he went downstairs.

He had just reached the middle of the stairs when he already felt himself getting weak. He knew that a healthy diet was definitely not achieved by eating burgers, but it was Felicity’s first day home after days of being in the hospital. Maybe it was best to spoil her with all the food she wanted just to make her feel a little bit better.

Oliver put the hamper to the foot of the stairs and strolled towards the kitchen. Despite quarreling with his decision already, Oliver took a look into the fridge. It didn’t really offer much since he hadn’t had time to do the grocery shopping. While Felicity had been in the hospital, he had tried to spend as much time as possible with her and with Mae. There hadn’t been time to remember the fridge.

“Burgers it is then,” Oliver whispered to himself.

He grabbed the menu of Big Belly’s though he knew Felicity would take the Chili Cheeseburger with extra garlic anyway. She always took a look at the menu and debated with herself for at least thirty minutes though before she settled with her usual pick after all. He had dared to just order her usual pick without asking her first once, and she had repeated over and over again that maybe she would have picked something else that one time for at least as week.

Oliver pushed the menu into the back pocket of his jeans and grabbed the carafe with homemade lemonade from the fridge. He had prepared it last night when he hadn’t been able to fall asleep because he knew how much Felicity loved it. He also grabbed two glasses and went back upstairs.

When he stepped into the doorframe, he saw that Felicity was busy on her tablet. He could see the emblem of Queen Consolidated on the monitor, telling him that she was most likely accessing the company’s server from home to check some updates of projects she had been responsible for in the last couple of months. As soon as he took a step into the room, Felicity cast him a brief glance and some baby shopping website appeared on the monitor instead.

“Hey, what do you think of this baby car seat?” she asked, turning the tablet in her hands to make him see the product she pretended to be busy with. “I know it’s expensive, but I read a lot of expert reports, and all of them say that this is the safest car seat for babies that is currently on the market. What better way is there to spend our money than making sure our baby is safe, right?”

Oliver placed the tray on Felicity’s nightstand and sat down on the edge of the mattress. Felicity was avoiding his eyes, a glimpse of guilt in her eyes. Only when Oliver continued looking at her, she lowered the tablet and looked at him.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Oliver said gently, putting his hand on hers. “I know you are bored, and I know you miss your work already. I understand that, but it’s my job to make sure you are safe and healthy. That does indeed include that I will take care, so won’t die from boredom.”

Felicity grumbled, but she switched off the tablet and dropped it the mattress. Taking his hand, she wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Oliver got the hint and slid closer to her, so she could snuggle up to his side and rest her head back to his shoulder like she had before he had gone downstairs.

“You have to find something soon though because I already feel like I am dying from boredom.”

Oliver brushed his lips against her forehead. He knew his usual ways of distracting her – way that included a lot of movement and a lot of nakedness – didn’t come into question here. He would have to find another idea to distract her.

“I will find something,” Oliver whispered. “I promise.”

Felicity angled her head back, smiling at him. “If someone can, I know it’s you.”

Smiling, Oliver brushed his lips against Felicity’s. He wanted to deepen the kiss, but the sound of the front door being shut opened distracted him. His lips were still resting against Felicity’s, but his muscles already tensed.

“I’m home!”

At the sound of Mae’s voice, Oliver sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. The whole story with the stalker seemed to get more to him than he had let on so far. His tension was a sure sign for that. The stalker would be crazy if he just broke into their home in the middle of the day.

“We are upstairs!”

Over Mae’s loud steps on the stairs, Tommy called, “Hey! Sorry, but I can’t stay! If you need anything more from me, just let me know!”

“Thank you, Tommy!” Felicity called.

“You’re welcome!”

A moment later, the front door shut and Mae came running into the room. She dropped her backpack to the floor, slipped off her shoes and crawled into bed. She almost threw herself at her mother, and Oliver was tempted to tell her that she had to be careful, but Felicity had already wrapped her arms around Mae with a heartfelt chuckle.

“You are home,” Mae said. “Finally!”

Felicity smiled. She rested her hands against Mae’s cheeks and looked at her face like she hadn’t seen her daughter in years. Leaning forward, she nuzzled her lips until both of them were laughing then.

“I am really happy I am back home too,” Felicity said, “though I won’t get to see much of our home for the next weeks.”

“Do you really have to stay in bed all day?”

Felicity nodded her head. “Yes, it’s important for me and the baby.”

“Don’t worry though, Mae,” Oliver said, stroking a gentle hand over her blonde curls. “I will play with you.”

“I know.” Mae sighed before she frowned. “Can’t we play a game altogether?”

Oliver cast a brief glance to Felicity, trying to figure out if she was up for that. She was already smiling and nodding her head though.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

“Okay, in that case I suggest we do it the following way,” Oliver said, “Mae, you decide which game we should play. Mommy will take a look at the menu and decide what we order for dinner. I will go downstairs and get another glass.”

Felicity perked up an eyebrow. “I’d say I am not the only one who misses work.”

Oliver chuckled. He might really sound a little bit like he was in the kitchen and had to make sure everyone knew exactly what to do. He leaned over and brushed his lips against Felicity’s once more before he crawled out of bed. He pulled at Mae’s feet, pulling her off the bed and making her chuckle.

“Make sure you find a game, so we can win against mommy,” he whispered to her. “It’s no fun if we lose.”

“I want to play Trivial Pursuit.”

“Trivial Pursuit, really?” Oliver asked. “You do know that mommy always wins if we are playing games that you have to be really smart for, right?”

“Yes, but I want mommy to win,” Mae whispered. “I am sure it will cheer her up.”

“You are remarkable, you know that?”

Mae smiled at him widely. “That’s what you always say to mommy.”

“And it’s true for both of you.”

He kissed Mae’s cheek before he set her back down on the floor and turned her around. With a chuckle, he slapped her butt playfully, making Mae giggle. She ran into her room to look for a game they could play. Oliver went downstairs into the kitchen.

At least for a while Felicity would be distracted from the troubles in her and their baby’s health as well as that nightmare with her stalker. For the next days, Oliver would have to find other things to distract Felicity though. Of course there were a lot of time they could spend online shopping since a lot of their baby equipment was still missing. He doubted that they’d be able to fill four weeks with that, at least not without Felicity getting bored anyway.

When Oliver turned back to the door, his eyes caught sight of a small bottle of nail polish that was placed on the topmost shelf next to the door. It was empty, had been empty for years actually. He and Felicity had kept it as a keepsake though.

Puckering his lips, Oliver grabbed his phone and dialed his mother’s number. While he was waiting for her to take the call, he already made a mental list of everything he had to prepare to make it perfect.

“Oliver,” she said as soon as she had picked up the phone. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, everything’s great,” Oliver replied. “I mean nothing new happened, so everything is the way it is and- Whatever, I was just wondering if you could pick up Mae from school on Friday and take her for the night. I want to surprise Felicity with something.”

 

* * *

 

If Felicity was writing a diary, she’d probably start today’s entry with the words _Day Ten of bedrest. Still feels like a prison. Still utterly bored._

For the umpteenth time in the last ten days, Felicity started counting the number of ceiling panels of the bedroom. She doubted that there were more or less than there had been yesterday. If there were, it would be the most exciting thing that had happened to her in the last ten days though.

Felicity knew she really had no right to complain. These last ten days, everyone around her had tried their best to distract her. Laurel and Tommy were coming by at least every other day, and Lyla texted her several times each day to update her on possible apartments for her and John to rent in Starling. Moira and Walter had visited her four times too, bringing delicious food and bakery from Raisa with them, much to Oliver’s resentment. He had been trying to spoil her with delicious food himself after all. Everyone was really doing their best.

If Felicity could work, just for a couple of hours each day, the boredom during the time she was spending alone would probably be much easier to bare. She had tried to discuss that with Oliver, but she hadn’t managed to convince him. In his mind, she was only getting over excited about possible breakthroughs or upset about possible struggles. Neither would be good for her health in the current situation.

Unfortunately, not working didn’t exactly feel like it was good for her health either. Whenever she was so bored that she didn’t know what to do, she felt her thoughts drifting back to the stalker she tried to forget so desperately. As much as she tried to tell herself to relax because she knew the stress wasn’t good for the baby, she still felt that creeping feeling clawing at her from time to time.

Felicity sighed, shaking her head. According to Oliver, nothing more had happened. There had been no texts, no calls and no gifts. She wasn’t sure if she really believed him, but she didn’t have much of a choice but to do so. Maybe this nightmare really was over now.

As for her boredom, she just had to remind herself that she had managed to get through ten long days already. She’d make it through the next eighteen until her baby was finally born too.

Felicity looked down at her bump and moved her fingers up and down her baby bump slowly. She could feel her baby’s kicks beneath the palm of her hands. They had gotten softer in the last ten minutes though, telling Felicity that her little boy – she still insisted on the baby being a boy – was most likely falling asleep.

“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” she asked in a whisper. “It’s just for you that I am following the doctor’s instructions so thoroughly. I stay in bed. I don’t work. I eat all that horribly healthy food daddy’s making for us.”

Felicity smiled. She hadn’t even met her baby yet, but she already knew that she would do anything for him. She doubted there was anything as strong as the love of a mother.

“Did I just hear the words _horrible_ and _food_ together in regard to my cooking?”

Looking up, Felicity found Oliver leaning in the frame of the door. He had his hands pushed into the pockets of his jeans and was watching her. With the blue plaid shirt that he wore and the soft smile on his lips, he looked incredibly sweet. Felicity felt butterflies tingle in her stomach just from the way he was looking at her.

“Yes, but, in my defense,” Felicity said with an amused smile, “I said _horribly healthy_.”

Oliver narrowed his eyes at her playfully. When she puckered her lips and cocked her head, looking at him with eyes full of innocence, Oliver just scrunched up his nose and groaned though. He just couldn’t be angry with her.

“Do you have a few minutes for me?”

“Oh, usually I do,” Felicity said, “but I was just considering going on a run, at least after I have made sure that the number of ceiling panels is still the same as in the last ten days.”

“In that case I will just come back later and-“

“Don’t you dare leave me alone again,” Felicity said, throwing a pillow at Oliver when he gestured back over his shoulder. “Since Mae’s spending the night at your mother’s, you are going to be my slave tonight.”

Oliver perked up his eyebrows. “Oh, really?”

“Yes.” Felicity nodded and patted the mattress next to her. “Come here. You can start with being my pillow, my blanket and my mattress while massaging my shoulders or my scalp at the same time. Well, or maybe we delay that and you massage my feet first. I have no idea why they hurt because I am not even using them, but they could need a massage.”

“What if I got a better idea?”

Felicity cocked her head. “Better than cuddling and massaging me?”

“Way better.”

For a brief moment, Felicity narrowed her eyes. She considered scolding him for thinking there was anything better than cuddling with her. Something in the way Oliver smiled and his eyes sparkled told her that there might be some truth in his words.

“Did you prepare a surprise for me?”

“Maybe.”

“Is that why Mae is spending the night at your mother’s?”

“Maybe.”

Felicity narrowed her eyes. “Mae was supposed to spend last Friday night at your mother’s already, but she got sick. Did you want to surprise me last week already?”

“Maybe.”

“Alright, Mr. Secretive. In that case-“

Oliver had almost flinched slightly, but it had already been enough to make Felicity stop. She bit down on her tongue and lowered her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. In the last years, she had always called him Mr. Secretive when he had tried to be mysterious because he wanted to surprise her. Since she had called him Mr. Secretive when he had denied sending her the bouquet of flowers that had turned out to be the beginning of the stalking, that name would forever be tainted now.

Maybe it was the worst thing this stalker could have done. He had turned something that was important to her and to her relationship with Oliver, and he had tainted it.

“Come on,” Oliver said eventually, breaking the silence that had settled, as he stepped to the bed. “I’ll show you your surprise.”

Oliver pushed his one arm under the back of her knees and put his other arm around her back. Felicity wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly, when he lifted her off the bed and into his arms. A low groan escaped his lips.

“Hey,” Felicity complained, slapping his chest lightly. “This is not the sound you are supposed to make when you are lifting your wife into your arms.”

“For the record, I am lifting my wife and my baby into my arms,” Oliver told her. “There is a difference between those. A difference of several pounds.”

Felicity just slapped Oliver’s chest once more. “It’s a good thing John is coming back, so he can make sure that you are getting back in form. I am pretty sure that you have been in better form when he was your training partner.”

“Oh, you want to complain about my physical form now?”

“Yes,” Felicity replied. “It’s obviously not at its peak if it keeps you from being on your good husband behavior.”

Oliver just chuckled and shook his head. Felicity smiled, resting her forehead against his temple. She knew the last thing she could complain about was Oliver’s physical fitness. He was going out for a run every day for at least an hour. He was also putting a lot of effort into training his muscles. With his broad shoulders and defined abs, he could definitely let himself be seen.

“You know what’s already the best thing about this surprise?”

“That you get to leave the bed?”

“Exactly.” Felicity chuckled. “I have no idea how you think you can top this because I doubt it’s possible, but it doesn’t matter because-“

Whatever Felicity had wanted to say died on her lips the moment Oliver crossed the doorstep to the living room and she saw what exactly he had prepared for her. Their entire living room was decorated with balloon, flowers and lights. A buffet of wonderful dishes, including a chocolate fountain had been set up. Music was playing in the background. There was a wide lying surface on the middle of the room.

The room looked almost the same way her bedroom had looked eight years back when Oliver had made sure they got their own prom night. Only this time, everything looked even more professional.

“I take it back,” she whispered. “This is the best.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Felicity just breathed the words out, taking in everything with tears welling in her eyes. She remembered that she hadn’t wanted to go to prom because she hadn’t felt like that was the right place for a pregnant girl to be, especially given the bullying she had been going through at that time. She had wanted Oliver to go there though, thinking it was an important experience. Oliver hadn’t wanted to experience it without her though, so he had made sure they got to spend their own prom night.

They had spent that night making love to each other for what was probably the first and only time since Felicity had found out she was pregnant. They had lain in bed, snuggled up to each other, until Oliver had started varnishing Felicity’s toe nails, and they had tried to find a name for their baby. They hadn’t succeeded, but it didn’t matter. That night had been as special as a prom night should be.

“Are you-“

“Going to vanish your toenails while we will discuss baby names?” Oliver asked, knowing exactly what was on her mind because he just knew her that well. “Of course we will.”

“Exactly like during prom night,” Felicity whispered.

“Yeah.”

Felicity turned her head to look at Oliver. He was smiling at her already, taking in her reaction to his surprise thoroughly. Felicity smiled back at him, thanking him for all of this without saying a word. Only Oliver had ever done something like this for her.

“I love you,” Felicity whispered. “So much.”

Oliver smiled and leaned in. He brushed his lips against hers, and Felicity stroked her fingertips through the hair at the back of Oliver’s neck. She knew how much he enjoyed that and she loved the way goosebumps spread all over her skin whenever she did it.

When their lips parted, Oliver smiled at her for a moment, making the butterflies in her stomach go crazy. Soon, he lay her down on the mattresses though. He poured her a glass of his homemade lemonade and got her some of the food from the buffet to make sure she really got everything she could possibly want. Felicity just smiled, feeling the lump in her throat increase as she continued to be completely speechless about his actions.

Balancing the plate with food on her bump, Felicity watched Oliver. He was sitting down at her feet, already pulling them into his lap and taking off her socks. She guessed he would really varnish her toenails like he had that night all those years ago after she had complained that prom night was only perfect if her toenails were varnished, something she hadn’t been able to do herself with the bump in the way.

“So, I already got your tablet ready to help inspire us with baby names,” Oliver said, handing her the tablet, “and I’ve got two different nail polishes.”

He lifted the two colors, and Felicity chuckles when she saw that one was a soft shade of pink and the other a light shade of blue. She didn’t have to take a look at the names to know that those colors were probably names _It’s a girl_ which was the color Oliver had used to varnish her toenails during their original prom night and _It’s a boy._

“I guess I don’t have to ask which color you want?”

“If you have even remotely listened to me in the last few months, you already know.”

“Blue it is then.” Oliver threw the pink-colored nail polish back over his shoulder. It landed somewhere on the floor behind him with a clattering sound, but Oliver didn’t mind. “What do I get when the baby turns out to be a girl?”

“What do you want?” Felicity asked with perked up eyebrows. “Daily massages and the right to be on top during hot nights of lovemaking every other week?”

Oliver chuckled. “You think that’s important to me?”

“Who knows.”

“Felicity, I love it when you are on top.”

Felicity smiled. Despite how much she told herself not to, she blushed and had to lowered her eyes. It didn’t matter how close she and Oliver were. She would never stop blushing when they talked about sex. Sometimes it felt like a miracle that their sex life was as filthy as it was given how much problems Felicity had to talk about it.

“If the baby turns out to be a girl, I want the command of the remote back.”

Felicity grinned, trying to bite back a full-hearted laughter. She still had no idea how she had convinced Oliver of leaving the remote to her. He complained about it every time they took time to watch TV together.

“But if the baby is a boy, I want to eat junk food at least twice each month.”

Oliver perked up his eyebrow. “Really? You eat it at least every other week anyway.”

“But it’s one time less that I have to feel guilty for it.”

Lifting her foot to his lips, he kissed her toes. Felicity had to take in a breath and focus on not pulling her foot away since his stubble tickled her tender skin.

“Deal.”

“Deal,” Felicity repeated with a smile.

Oliver grabbed a pillow and placed it in his lap, resting her feet on top of it. As he started applying the nail polish, he gestured towards the tablet. Felicity got the hint and took a look at the website Oliver had already opened for them.

“Oh, the first name that appears here is already great,” Felicity said. “Aiden.”

“I don’t know.”

Felicity bit down on her tongue, just nodding her head. She barely remembered discussing baby names with Oliver. A small voice in her head already whispered that they might run into problems here.

“Here’s a baby name generator.” Felicity accessed it quickly. “It generates baby names based on the baby’s surname.”

“That sounds promising.”

“Absolutely,” Felicity agreed. “Let’s see. First name it recommends is… Okay, there isn’t a single name on this list I like. Give me a second.”

She let the computer generate another ten names and skimmed the list. She couldn’t say that she was exactly convinced of any of the names.

“Maybe Lex?”

Oliver chuckled, not even looking up from her toes. “I don’t have to see your face to know you don’t like the name anyway, so it doesn’t matter what I think.”

“Yeah, because Lex would almost remind me of Lex Luthor. I love Lena, but her brother is the worst.”

“I knew you didn’t like the name.”

“The generator sucks,” Felicity said, shaking her head. “I will search for other names. Give me a second.”

“Take your time,” Oliver whispered in a singsong. “We have all night.”

Felicity smiled at that, but she hurried to view other lists with baby names nonetheless. There hadn’t been much time to think about their baby’s name so far. Now that they had started discussing names, she couldn’t wait to find one though.

“What about Jackson?”

“So you can emphasize again and again how hot Dr. Jackson Avery is?”

“Since he and April didn’t get to be together, he’s dead to me.”

“You are still not over it?”

“Never,” Felicity whispered. “What about Leo?”

“Madeleine and Leo?” Oliver scrunched up his nose. “No.”

“Samuel?”

“To forever remind you of Japril’s tragic end?”

“Oh my God, I didn’t even think about that,” Felicity said and scrunched up her nose. “A definite no to that one.  What about Henry?”

“Only if we don’t find any other.”

“Emmett?”

“Yes,” Oliver said, looking at her with surprise. “That name’s great.”

“Too bad I don’t like it.”

Oliver frowned. “Why did you suggest it then?”

“Just because I knew you’d like it.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, but Felicity just lifted her tablet in front of her face and smiled to herself. Discussing baby names was a lot of fun actually, at least as long as she was in charge. She knew she’d go crazy if he would be the one suggesting names.

“Are we going to discuss girls’ names too?”

“Why?” Felicity asked. “Are we planning on a third baby already?”

Oliver chuckled. “You really are that sure about the baby being a boy?”

“Absolutely.” Felicity pushed a chicken nugget into her mouth and stroked her fingers over her baby belly. “We have a special connection, you know?”

Felicity was already focusing back on the list of possible baby names when a terrible scenario popped up in her mind. She felt herself tensing and lowered the tablet.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Oliver asked, squeezing her foot. “Something wrong?”

“What if we pick a baby name that we love very much and it turns out to be the stalker’s name?”

Oliver seemed to be so surprised by her question, he almost varnished her entire toe instead of just the nail. After looking at her wordlessly for like two minutes, he resumed varnishing her toenails. Only when he had finished the last toenail, he put the bottle away and looked at Felicity.

“That would be a weird coincidence.”

“But it’s not impossible,” Felicity said. “Do you want to tempt that?”

Oliver pushed his tongue against the inside of his mouth and took in a deep breath. He seemed to struggle with his answer. He probably tried to figure out if there was really a possibility this would happen.

“I guess we'll just wait a little longer with figuring out a name for our baby.”

Felicity nodded her head slowly. “It might be the best we can do.”

With a long sigh, Felicity switched off the tablet and put it away. She couldn’t hide the sadness that filled her chest. This night had been supposed to be a nice callback to their original prom night. She just wasn’t able to turn off the thoughts of the danger that was still out there for them.

“Hey.”

Oliver crawled over to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his other hand on the underside of her baby bump. His lips kissed the crown of her head reassuringly. Sighing, Felicity leaned more against him. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart. There was something comforting about it.

“It’s okay to be worried and scared,” Oliver whispered. “We don’t know what the future will bring in regards to that creep.”

“He hasn’t done anything in the last thirteen days.” Felicity put her plate away and moved her right leg to rest between both of Oliver’s, so she was partly lying against and partly lying on top of him. “Maybe it’s really over now.”

“Maybe,” Oliver agreed. “We have to wait and see.”

Felicity groaned. “I hate waiting.”

“I know,” Oliver whispered, and she could hear the smile in his voice. “I have noticed.”

It wasn’t just the waiting that annoyed Felicity. She knew they had to be cautious because they couldn’t just throw their carefulness into the wind and pretend like none of this had ever happened. At least they couldn’t do so yet.

When was the time to decide that it might be all over even if they never found out who had stalked her? Her life had to go on one day, right?

“Can you do me a favor?”

Felicity rested her head back to look at Oliver, finding his eyes already on her. He was looking at her with perked up eyebrows, waiting for her to say whatever she needed.

“Will you talk to our baby?” she asked. “I just want to hear your voice, and I love when you are talking to our kids.”

A warm smile spread on Oliver’s lips. He leaned in and brushed her lips with his in a chaste kiss. Slipping his arm away from around her shoulders, he crawled down the bed a little bit then to lie down between her legs with his head resting right over her baby bump.

With held breath, Felicity watched him. She had meant exactly what she had said before. She loved hearing Oliver’s voice because it was always reassuring to know that he was here with her. At the same time, the way he talked to their children always reminded her of the joy she had with her family. They were their big jackpot.

“Hi, Baby,” Oliver whispered eventually. He rested both of his hands to the sides of her baby belly and brushed his lips against her skin. “Mommy suggested that I talk to you for a little while, so here I am. I know I haven’t talked to you much lately. Mommy and I were running into a little bit of stress here. I know you noticed because you and mommy have this special bond.”

Felicity smiled, watching Oliver’s face as he talked to their baby. His voice was soft, and the expression in his arms was so warm that Felicity felt affected by it immediately. She reached out her hand and stroked her fingers through Oliver’s hair, massaging his scalp. His eyes found hers for a brief moment before he lowered his gaze again, looking at her belly like he could see their baby in there.

If Felicity hadn’t fallen in love with Oliver long before they had even known about Mae, she would have fallen in love with him the moment she had first heard him talking to their unborn baby. From the way he talked with this soft, lowered voice, there had never been a doubt that he was going to be the best daddy a baby could have.

“I just wanted you to know that we are already waiting for you, and we cannot wait to meet you,” he whispered. “Last week, Uncle Tommy and I set up your nursery to make sure you get everything you need. I will show it to mommy later tonight if she hasn’t fallen asleep yet.”

Felicity’s smile widened. One more reason to love listening to Oliver while he was talking to their children was that he always shared secrets with them. She loved hearing about them by listening to him talking to their children.

“We love you, Baby,” Oliver continued in the same low whisper. “And we cannot wait to hold you in our arms. You are already so loved, and you will only be loved more and more.”

Oliver kissed Felicity’s bump right over her popped out belly button. He whispered something more to the baby, so quietly that not even Felicity could hear him. Propping himself up onto his hands, he crawled up the bed until he could snuggle up against her again.

Felicity lost no time. She grabbed the neckline of his shirt and pulled him down to him, kissing him hungrily. If Dr. Schwartz hadn’t forbidden them to have sex, she would surely undress Oliver and take him right now. There was just something incredibly hot about him being a loving dad to their children. It was something she would never get tired of.

Soon, Felicity could feel Oliver getting affected by the hotness of the kiss. Stroking his tongue against hers one last time, he took hold of her hips and pushed himself a little away from her. Parting the kiss, he looked at her. They were both breathless, but they smiled at each other nonetheless.

“One question though,” Felicity asked, her voice raspy from the need she still felt throbbing between her legs. “How did you and Tommy set up the nursery when neither of you spoilt billionaires even knows how to put together a shelf?”

Oliver puckered his lips for a moment before he grumbled, “Maybe Laurel might have helped with that a little.”

“Oh, really?” Felicity asked, not at all surprised. “Just a little?”

“A tiny little, yes.”

Felicity chuckled, not believing a word he said. It didn’t matter though. It wasn’t about putting the furniture together. It was about remembering that this was important and taking care of it without saying a word to surprise her. That was the part that mattered.

“I love you,” Felicity whispered. “I love you so much.”

Oliver smiled, tugging a strand of her hair back behind her ear. “I love you too.”

They both leaned in for another kiss. This time, it wasn’t a needy kiss that reminded them of how much they physically needed each other though. It was a slow kiss, proving how much they needed each other’s love and each other’s presence right now and forever.


	7. Chapter 7

“You are getting old, Man.”

Oliver frowned, shooting his friend a confused glance. “We are the same age, Tommy.”

“I know.” Tommy rolled his eyes. “Unlike you, I am not running like I am eighty though. Really, if I had known that you were going to amble like this today, I wouldn’t have asked you to go on a run with me.”

Oliver’s only answer was a low grumble while he was shooting an impatient glance on his watch, only to find that just three minutes had passed since he had checked the last time. Eleven-thirteen.

He increased his pace though, catching up on Tommy who had been two or three steps ahead of him until now. Tommy shot him a side glance, looking him up and down from the corner of his eye like he tried to find any obvious reason for Oliver’s apparently bad form today.

“How are your feet?”

Tommy perked up an eyebrow, releasing a chuckle. “Better than yours I’d say from this run.”

Oliver did his best to bite back a deep sigh. Usually, he was the one animating Tommy by teasing him while they were running, telling him to hurry up and running in circles around him. It had to be a great feeling for Tommy to rub Oliver’s slow pace in now.

“I mean in regards to the wedding,” Oliver clarified his question. “Are your feet getting colder?”

“If anything, they are getting sorer.” Tommy sighed. “Who knew that planning a wedding took this much time and effort. I feel like I am just running from one appointment to the other, and, still, the mountain of things to prepare for the wedding doesn’t get any smaller.”

“I knew that there is a lot of work behind a wedding. I even tried to warn you about it, but you didn’t want to believe me.” Oliver chuckled, slapping his friend’s shoulder as they continued running. He quickened up even a little bit more, but he quickly slowed down again when he remembered why exactly he wasn’t putting all his energy in this run today. “So, apart from all the wedding stress, everything is going great?”

“Absolutely.” Tommy smiled, and Oliver could see that his friend really meant it. “I am so excited for this wedding, well, more about the marriage than about the wedding actually, but you get my point.”

“Of course. I felt the same way when I got married to Felicity.”

For Felicity and him, the wedding had just been a celebration of what they had been living for years already – a life together. Tying the knot hadn’t been much of a big step because they had made the commitment of living together and sharing everything to good as well as bad times already. Apart from the rings they had started wearing that day and the change of their surnames, everything had basically stayed the same.

Almost everything, Oliver added in his thoughts, as the wedding had triggered them to start thinking about expanding their family. Now here they were, about to finally have their second baby.

Oliver glanced at his watch once more. Eleven-fifteen.

“So, you are not scared about the handcuffs of marriage cutting into your wrists?”

Tommy chuckled, shooting Oliver an amused grin. “I should tell Felicity what you think about marriage. I am sure she will kick your ass the moment the doctor gives her go for Felicity to leave the bed.”

Oliver smiled to himself. Actually, it had been Felicity who had used the very same words the night before their wedding when she had wanted to know if he was really ready for the step. She had mostly wanted to make fun, but Oliver would have understood if she had been unsure if he was ready. He had had a history of running after all.

“How is Felicity doing?” Tommy asked.

“Better.” Oliver nodded his head. “The last checkup showed that she’s a lot better. Her blood pressure is back to normal. There haven’t been any more bleedings. She and the baby are both perfectly fine.”

“Good. If someone deserves something good, it’s Felicity and you since-“

When Tommy stopped, Oliver lifted his gaze from his watch he had been looking at and shot a glance at his friend. He was looking back at him with a frown. Worry showed on his face.

“Is the stalker back?”

“No, thank god everything is quiet.”

Indeed, since Felicity had been in the hospital, everything had been quiet. There had been no more texts or calls or gifts. He had been cautious to say that it was over, but he really believed it was over now. He and Felicity would need some time to process what had happened, and it would take some time to accept that they would never catch this guy. They could finally look into their future without looking back over their shoulder in panic though, and that was all that really mattered.

Oliver shot another look at his watch, but time just didn’t want to pass for him today it seemed. Eleven-nineteen.

“Okay, what is going on?”

If he hadn’t lifted his gaze in time, Oliver would have just run into his friend. He had been so distracted by checking the time that he hadn’t noticed that Tommy had run past and stopped in front of him.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Oliver asked. “Already out of breath?”

“No,” Tommy said firmly. “I am just distracted because you are distracted.”

“I am not distracted.”

“You are checking your watch almost every other minute.” Tommy crossed his arms in front of his chest. “And if you are not checking the time, you make sure that you have your phone in the pocket of your jacket. You are worried, and you feel like you have to be reachable. So, what’s wrong?”

Oliver faltered briefly before he chuckled, shaking his head. He considered his answer briefly. Pushing his tongue against the inside of his cheek, he lifted his gaze eventually.

“Our father-in-law is already rubbing off on you,” he said. “You sound a lot like Quentin when he’s been talking about one of his cases at the SCPD.”

Tommy cocked his head. “It’s actually playing detective with your daughter that’s rubbing off on me. She does seem to aim for a career as a profiler.”

Oliver perked up his eyebrows. “Really? So far I always thought that-“

“Don’t change the subject, Ollie,” Tommy interrupted him, shaking his head. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

As his friend continued looking at him, apparently trying to stare him down until Oliver would give in and tell him, Oliver had to bite his tongue firmly. As much as he tried to keep a blank face, he couldn’t hide the giant smile that had been threatening to spread on his face for the past thirty minutes already.

When he had brought Felicity breakfast, he had already noticed that she was a little bit tense. He hadn’t said anything about that at first because he had thought that it was because she really wasn’t a morning person. The more time they had spent together, the more he had realized that she was clenching her teeth and taking deep breaths regularly. The time between those moments decreased slowly.

If it had been up to Oliver, he would have started stopping the time to make sure they watched the progression thoroughly. Apparently, he had unnerved Felicity enough in the past weeks though. When Tommy had texted to ask if he wanted to go out for a run, she had almost pushed him out of the bed to get him to leave.

It could still take hours until they had to go to the hospital. Since Felicity’s blood pressure was back to an almost normal level, they shouldn’t run into any problems during the birth. Getting there ahead of time or anything wouldn’t be necessary. Hence, the most important thing until then was that Felicity was relaxed. If going out for a run helped with that, he went out for a run.

There was no way he would risk missing their baby’s birth though. He had almost missed Mae’s birth because he and Felicity had been kind of broken up, and he had spent almost every free minute in the gym. Physical exhaustion had been supposed to chase away the longing he had felt for Felicity. It had distracted him so much that he had forgotten his phone in the locker and missed the dozens of calls and texts he had received from everyone, telling him that he had to get to the hospital as soon as possible. That wouldn’t happen to him again.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Tommy said eventually. “The baby is- Is the baby coming?”

“I think she is, yes.” Oliver nodded his head. “The contractions have started already, but Felicity is trying to keep it a secret so far. I think she wants all of this to go as relaxed as possible.”

“And she can’t be relaxed when you know?”

Oliver clenched his jaws. “Do you have to rub that in?”

Tommy didn’t answer. His frown was replaced by a smile instantly. He shook his head for a moment like what he had said before didn’t matter anyway. With a happy chuckle, he spread his arms and pulled Oliver into a tight hug.

“Congratulations, Man,” he said. “That’s amazing news.”

“It is,” Oliver agreed nodding his head. “Really, I am so excited about this. I cannot wait.”

“Yeah, it’s-“ Tommy stopped and frowned though. “Wait, it’s like two weeks early. That’s not good, right? You should go home and be with Felicity and-“

“Tommy, Tommy, Tommy,” Oliver said quickly, squeezing his friend’s shoulder. “It’s all alright. It’s just ten days. That’s basically as good as being exactly on time.”

Tommy nodded slowly and took in a deep breath. He still looked a little bit like he was panicked about this though.

“Okay,” he said eventually, nodding his head once more. “Okay, I am relaxed.”

Oliver doubted that was true. His friend still looked completely tense and everything but relaxed.

“If you are reacting like this when I am going to become a dad, how are you going to react when your time has come?”

“I have no idea.” Tommy massaged his neck and puckered his lips. “Luckily, Laurel and I already agreed to take some time with that. It’s too soon to have a baby.”

“Trust me, compared to having a baby at eighteen, this feels more than late.” Oliver chuckled, shaking his head. “You will be ready when the time comes, and I know you will be a great dad. You have already proved your skills of being a good daddy with Mae.”

Oliver hadn’t always seen the good in that, but he knew that Tommy taking care of Felicity and Mae while everyone had believed he was dead was the reason they had even managed to get through that year. He had been there for them. He had helped Felicity getting through MIT, and he had helped raising Mae. They were so close because that year had just brought them together in a way that nobody would ever forget.

Tommy cocked his head. “I was never her dad.”

“No, you weren’t,” Oliver replied, “but as close to it as possible.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Tommy lowered his head, not saying a word. Their friendship had almost fallen apart after Oliver’s return because he had felt like he had been replaced. It was different now.

“You know, you are a great dad too,” Tommy said eventually. “Given what a piece of shit my dad was, I didn’t have a role model for a really good dad until you and Felicity had Mae. It’s like being a dad is just a part of you that comes as natural as… I don’t know.”

Oliver smiled. “The moment I saw Mae, I knew that, for the rest of my life, I would do everything I could to make sure she was happy and well. She’s more important to me than anything else and-“

When Oliver felt his phone vibrating in the pocket of his jacket, he stopped and quickly took a look at the display. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Felicity’s name on the display, together with a photo he had taken of her only a couple of days ago when she had been sleeping.

“Hey, Hon,” Oliver said as soon as he had taken the call, trying to sound particularly breathless. “Everything alright?”

There was a moment of pause before Felicity replied, “We could pretend that I didn’t notice that you noticed that I already had contractions all morning, or we could save time and-“

Felicity gasped for breath, and Oliver could almost see her bending forward on the bed and gripping the sheets tightly. He bit down on his tongue, reminding himself not to tell her to breathe. Whatever they had learned in the birthing class, he knew Felicity didn’t want him to say it. She had actually said that she knew very well what she needed to do. She had been to the class after all too.

“Okay,” she said eventually, taking in one more deep breath. “So, contractions are now only fifteen minutes apart, so maybe you should come home. You can take a shower, take Mae to your mother’s, and then we will see if it’s already about time to go to the hospital.”

“Do you think there is enough time?”

“I guess there is,” Felicity replied, “but then I also thought there was enough time for you to go out for a full run before it was time. Your son is trying to make a quick entry into this world.”

Oliver smiled. “I can’t wait to meet our daughter.”

There was a long moment of pause on the other end of the line before Felicity sighed.

“Thank God there are only a few hours more before you have to admit that I was right the entire time.”

“You mean until I tell you ‘I told you so’.” Oliver smiled to himself for a moment. “I’ll come home now, okay?”

“See you.”

“I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“I’d appreciate if you rather took your time instead of risking that you will trip over your own feet and-“

“I will certainly not trip over my own feet,” Oliver replied. “I see you in five minutes.”

He hung up before Felicity could say anything more. The amusement in her voice had given away that she had only been joking anyway. He knew it was no big deal.

“I guess your run is over?”

“I consider our run a warm-up, so I can sprint home now,” Oliver said, pushing his phone into the pocket of his jacket. “I’ll call you as soon as the baby is born.”

With that, Oliver turned around and just started running as fast as he could. Thanks to his limited pace before, he still had a lot of unused energy to run now. He was sure that he could be completely exhausted, and he would still be able to run like he was followed by a dozen of wolves. Just knowing that there were only a couple of hours until he could hold his baby in his arms was giving him all the energy he needed.

“Good luck!” Tommy shouted after him “And make sure to put some towels on the passenger seat when you drive Felicity to the hospital! Seriously!”

 

* * *

 

Felicity didn’t know if there were words to describe what she was feeling while she was looking at her newborn baby. If words suitable for that already existed, she didn’t know them yet. She doubted that there really were words that could encompass the way her entire world had changed once more when she had held her baby in her arms for the first time today.

As much as her eyes were burning from tiredness, Felicity couldn’t turn her eyes away. She wanted to continue looking at his face for as long as possible. She wanted to memorize her baby’s face, so she could still see it in her mind’s eyes when she lay down to catch some much-needed sleep.

“Okay, I am pretty sure that it’s my turn to hold him again now.”

Felicity groaned. She shot Oliver a look, pushing her bottom lip forward to try messing with him. When Oliver just perked up his eyebrows, she fluttered her eyelashes. Even that didn’t persuade Oliver to let her hold their baby for a little longer. He just reached out his hands and beckoned her to hand the newborn over.

“Usually, that always works.”

Felicity kissed their baby’s forehead before she handed him over to Oliver. He wrapped his strong arms around the little boy safely, holding him as close to his chest as possible.

With a sigh, Felicity rested her head back in the pillow and just watched Oliver. He was sitting on the edge of the mattress, now holding their son in his arms. The tiny newborn looked incredibly small compared to his father with the broad shoulders and muscular arms. Oliver’s body looked hard and tough, almost like he could accidentally crush the little human being in his arms with just one wrong movement, but his face was incredibly soft. There was so much love and so much gentleness in his eyes, so much more than you thought was possible from Oliver’s tough outer experience. He could never, not even on accident, hurt the baby in his arms.

Felicity was sure that she knew what was going on in his mind. He was certainly promising himself that he would do anything to keep this baby safe and to never miss a single moment with their son. After everything that had happened to them and everything they had been through, she knew that he needed this, so she gave him however much time he needed.

Only when Oliver lifted his gaze, his eyes meeting hers, she knew that he was ready to talk again. She smiled, pulling the blanket a little higher and turning onto her side.

Oliver reached out a hand and stroking it over her hair. “Are you okay?”

“Just tired,” Felicity replied. “It’s been a long day.”

When Felicity had woken up early this morning, feeling the dragging pain in her lower stomach and back, she had known that this was going to be a long day. Their boy might have decided to hurry up during the first inches, but he had taken a lot of time for the last ones. The doctor had almost been sure that they would have to wait until tomorrow to hold their baby in their arms. Luckily, he hadn’t taken that much time after all.

Anyway, after all these hours and all the pain that, weirdly, she didn’t even remember that much, she really was exhausted.

If it wasn’t for the fact that they had asked Moira to take Mae to the hospital today, so she could meet her baby brother, Felicity would just close her eyes and sleep now. She wanted to be awake when Mae came here though. Besides, she and Oliver had some things to discuss first.

“You did great,” Oliver whispered, pulling her from her thoughts.

Felicity groaned. “You were just enjoying my pain.”

Oliver chuckled. “Really? That is what you think of me?”

“Yeah.” Felicity smiled tiredly. “Don’t worry though. I will enjoy eating junk food twice a month without feeling guilty about how bad you feel when I am eating junk food. I might just do it right in front of you. Two of thirty days each month are covered now. Only twenty-eight missing.”

Surprised, Oliver looked at her. He frowned for a split second before he suddenly started grinning, perking up his eyebrows.

“You have to be really tired if you honestly suggest having another twenty-eight kids.”

Felicity groaned and rubbed her hands over her tired face. She felt like, at this point, she had no idea what she was saying. She couldn’t remember that she had ever been this tired, and she had honestly believed that having her second baby would be easier than having her first. She had more experience, and she was significantly older.

“And for the record,” Oliver whispered, leaning so close to Felicity that his lips almost brushed against hers, “the only thing I enjoyed about our baby’s birth was that I didn’t miss out on most of it, so I could hold your hand and see the birth progressing, and that things between us are completely clear.”

Felicity smiled. “That was indeed really nice.”

Smiling, Oliver leaned in and brushed his lips against Felicity’s. It was a gentle, reassuring kiss. Unspoken mutual gratitude was in the touch of their lips, and it made Felicity only smile more.

When their lips parted, Oliver turned on the bed, so he could rest back into the pillow next to Felicity. He rested his arm around her shoulders and adjusted their baby’s position in his arms, so the newborn was almost lying between them. Felicity leaned her head against Oliver’s shoulder, looking at their son, and rested her head on his chest. She could feel his strong heartbeat beneath the palm of her hand.

“Do you remember when Mae was born?”

She could feel Oliver smiling against the crown of her head. He kissed her hair before he rested his cheek against her head.

“Of course I do,” Oliver replied with soft voice. “It was a great day, one of the most important days of my life. It wasn’t perfect though. It was actually far from it. Everything was so messed up back then. We were young, and we didn’t know who we were.”

“And whether our relationship was strong enough to survive or not,” Felicity added. “I think that’s been my biggest issue back then.”

Felicity remembered how sure she had been that their relationship wouldn’t make it. Apart from how different they were, a lot of relationship broke when people became parents, especially young parents. She had been sure that this would happen to her and Oliver’s relationship too since statistics didn’t lie.

Angling her head back to look at Oliver’s face, Felicity smiled. Oliver looked back at her with a little bit of surprise, but he smiled back at her soon.

“I know that our relationship is going to make it this time though,” she told him. “There is no doubt about that.”

“Yeah,” Oliver replied. “No doubt about that.”

“And we also know who we are, so there won’t be a crisis of identity coming in the way of our joy either.” Felicity puckered her lips for a brief moment. “I am smart, strong and an independent woman who can take on every struggle that is thrown at her, even if she has to do it alone. There is no need to be afraid of the future.”

“I was going to say that I am the love of your life, but okay…”

Felicity chuckled. “You have always been the one who’s been cornier.”

Their lips met in another kiss, but she had to break it when she couldn’t bite back a long yawn. When Oliver chuckled, Felicity lowered her face with a groan. She really couldn’t remember when she had been this tired.

“Maybe we should have delayed seeing Mae until tomorrow,” Oliver whispered and kissed her head once more. “You could have rested a little before that. That might have been better.”

“Maybe,” Felicity replied with a sleepy sigh, “but how should we have told Mae that she has a baby brother now and wasn’t allowed to see him until tomorrow? I am sure she would have woken up your mother tomorrow in the early morning and urged her to be at the hospital before seven.”

Oliver chuckled. “Yeah, Mae was quite excited at the phone.”

It was probably one of the biggest understatements Oliver had ever used. Even over the phone, Felicity had been able to hear how Mae had been jumping up and down, squealing loudly. There might have been a tiny bit of disappointment that she had had a brother. She had always said that she believed Felicity rather than Oliver when it came to the baby’s sex because the baby was growing inside the mommy’s tummy after all. There was no doubt that she had secretly hoped for her daddy to be right though.

Felicity looked at her son, stroking her finger against his rosy cheek. She doubted that she had really preferred a particular sex. All she had wanted was a healthy baby born under easy circumstances. She hadn’t wanted any drama. There had been enough drama when Mae had been born. No drama, that was all she had wanted, and she had got it.

“We need to find a name for our little man here,” Felicity said quietly, resting her hand back against her son’s chest, “preferably before Mae comes here and wants to have a say in this too.”

Oliver chuckled. “I don’t understand what’s your problem with naming our baby Heihei.”

“I am not naming our son after a dense chicken, Oliver.”

“Well, in that case we should really hurry up with finding a name,” Oliver said, still chuckling. “If necessary, you will just have to agree to one of the names on my list.”

“Not happening,” Felicity replied. “You will just agree to one of the names on my list.”

They both chuckled. After they had tried and failed to find a name for their baby during their prom night, they had agreed that they’d both pick five names for their baby. They’d pick the one they could both agree to. They hadn’t talked about the possibility that they might not be able to agree on one nonetheless though.

“Okay, I’ll start,” Felicity said eventually. “Aiden.”

“I already said no to that one.”

“Yeah, but if I just suggest it often enough, you just have to say yes to it.”

“But Aidan?” Oliver asked. “Really?”

Felicity chuckled. “Okay, if you hate that name that much, maybe it would be better to pick something else. It’s your turn.”

“What about Mason?”

Felicity groaned. This really couldn’t end well for their baby.

Indeed, just like Felicity had feared, they couldn’t agree on a name of the other’s list. They just continued making suggestions, but they just didn’t find one that they both liked. It wasn’t having a baby that was so difficult. Finding a name for the baby was at least a hundred times more difficult and much more exhausting.

In their desperation, Felicity finally just opened a list with Top 100 baby names that, weirdly, was quite different from the Top 100 baby name list she had views a couple of days ago. She just read the list out name by name, only skipping the ones they had already not agreed on before.

“Honestly, if we don’t find a name soon, we will cast lots.”

“There has to be a name we can both agree on.” Felicity groaned, switching her phone off and putting it to her nightstand. “What about our families? There has to be a name we can borrow there. Like, why don’t we name him Robert?”

The moment the words fell from her lips, maybe fell from her lips a little bit too easily, she felt Oliver tense. Felicity angled her head back, looking at Oliver’s face. There were a lot of different emotions playing on his face. Sadness was definitely one of it, and it made her regret just suggesting that name without thinking about it for even a second.

“Hey,” Felicity said, placing her head on his heart. “We don’t have to name him Robert. I just thought it could be a nice idea. That way your father would always be with us, more than he is already actually.”

“I just think it would be too painful, you know?”

Oliver looked at Felicity, an unsettled expression in his eyes. Whatever quiet and reassurance he seemed to need, he found it in her eyes though. Felicity could see him relax. His arms tightened around their son and around Felicity’s shoulders.

“I just-“

“You don’t need to explain anything,” Felicity told him. “Not to me. Not ever.”

Nodding slowly, Oliver leaned in for another kiss. She could feel his need for reassurance in the firm pressure of his lips.

“What do you think about Gabriel?”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows. “Gabriel, like my grandpa?”

“Yes,” Oliver nodded his head. “I mean I never got to know him, but you told me that he survived the holocaust, so he was certainly a good and strong man. I think that would be the right person to inspire our son.”

“I like that.”

Oliver chuckled. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

“We spent so much time trying to find a name, I was trying to get used to naming him HeiHei.”

“Good thing that we got to prevent that.”

Felicity looked at their son, already calling him Gabriel in her mind. She loved the name because she had loved her grandfather, and he had really been an inspiring man. She could almost see her little boy in a couple of years with her naturally dark curls and Oliver’s beautiful blue eyes. The name would suit him. It already did.

“What do you think about Robert as his middle name?” Felicity asked eventually, looking at Oliver’s face once more. “You wouldn’t be confronted with it every day of your life, but it would still be a part of our family, a part of Gabriel’s life. Gabriel Robert Smoak-Queen.”

“Gabriel Robert Smoak-Queen.” Oliver smiled and nodded slowly. “I like that.”

Looking at their baby once more, Felicity repeated his name in her mind a couple of times. The more she thought about it, the more she liked it. She could feel that this name is just the perfect match for her little boy.

Smiling, Felicity angled her head back and looked at Oliver. He was still watching their baby, probably repeating his name in his mind just like Oliver had done before too. When his eyes eventually met hers, he was smiling just as widely as Felicity did.

“Our baby has a name.”

Felicity nodded. “Our baby has a name.”

They both leaned in at the same time. Their kiss was slow and full of love. All the waiting was finally over. They had their baby now, just like they had imagined they would for the past months. There might have been some heavy bumps on the road, but they had made it. They were together, and they held their newborn son in their arms. It was perfect.

When their lips parted, Felicity rolled onto her side, so she could lie there more comfortably. She bit back another yawn and blinked a couple of times. With a sigh, she just focused on looking at Gabriel. She couldn’t get enough of him, so that would hopefully stop her from falling asleep.

“Do you think everything’s going to go back the way things have been now?” Felicity asked quietly. “I mean the stalker seems to be gone. With the end of the pregnancy, I am finally able to leave the bed again. It’s going to be better now, right?”

“Yeah,” Oliver whispered, stroking his hand up and down her back. “I think so.”

Felicity angled her head back to look at Oliver’s face. She tried to find any hint that he had doubts about that, but there was nothing but certainty in his eyes. It looked like the trouble that had surrounded their life lately really was over.

“You know, there is actually thinking if maybe we shouldn’t go back to the way things have been completely.”

“Which means?”

Oliver took in a deep breath. “I thought we could move into a new house, something bigger with more security just to make sure.”

He had tried to sound casual, but it didn’t cover the fact that his words were not addressing something that could be discussed casually. Moving out of their house, the house they had happily lived in for years now, was a big thing.

“Oliver, I don’t want to move out of our house,” she said. “It’s our house, and I don’t let anyone or anything taint that.”

“It might be better to move into a place with more security though. I mean we don’t know if this stalker is ever coming back. Even if he doesn’t, it might be safer. We have kids and-“

“Oliver,” Felicity gently, putting her hand to his cheek. “That’s our house. It’s our home. It’s where I want to see our children growing up. I don’t want to move into one of those fancy homes. Besides, that stalker even managed to get into your mother’s garden. There is never a guarantee for safety, and I’d rather live somewhere that feels like home. Please.”

Oliver seemed to struggle with her answer. He had obviously hoped for another answer, and Felicity got that. She hadn’t felt safe in her home for a while after all those incidents with the stalker had happened. With the much time she had had to think, she had figured out that she wouldn’t let her home being taken away from her though.

That was her home, and she wouldn’t allow anyone to make her feel that unsafe that she considered leaving it and all the precious memories it held behind.

“I just felt so helpless,” Oliver whispered eventually. “To think that I couldn’t protect you in our own home-“

“Hey,” Felicity said gently, shaking her head. “Don’t think like that. It’s over now, and we got through it safely. It’s all going to be alright again now, and all the happy memories we will make in our home will make us forget about those few moments of shock. Okay?”

Oliver rested his hand over hers on his cheek and leaned his face into her touch. He kissed the palm of her hand, tickling her skin with his short stubble.

“Okay.”

There was a pained expression on Oliver’s face as he squeezed his eyes shut and angled his head forward. His nose pressed against her wrist as he took in deep breaths.

“I felt so helpless.”

“I know,” Felicity replied. “So did I. We just have to look forward now. We will never forget this, but we have to move on. We can’t let that person dedicate the rest of our lives. If we do, he has won.”

When Oliver opened his eyes and lifted his gaze, meeting hers, there was an unspoken question in his face. Felicity just frowned, waiting for him to speak.

“How can you be so strong?”

Felicity smiled. The truth was that she had no idea why she could be this calm right now. After all the panic and all the struggle, she hadn’t thought that she could ever shake the feeling of being watched and being followed. Right now, with Oliver and Gabriel here, she knew there was nothing to worry about. Only if Mae was here it would be better.

“I took my lead from you.”

Oliver smiled, moving his face into her hand even a little bit more. He was about to lean in for another kiss, but Gabriel released a little sound. It made them both turn their head and look at their son.

“He’s so beautiful,” Felicity whispered. “I can’t believe how beautiful he is.”

“He’s got that from his mom.”

“Let’s just hope he rather has my intellect.”

Oliver chuckled, tickling her ribs slightly, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Felicity chuckled. “Oh, I just mean that-“

A knock at the door interrupted Felicity.

“Saved by the knock,” Oliver whispered and pecked her lips briefly before he lifted his head. “Come in.”

As soon as Felicity saw Mae, she smiled. There was a giant smile on her daughter’s face, so wide that Felicity was sure that it hurt on her face. It couldn’t hide the slightly nervous expression in her eyes that were solely focused on the little human being in her daddy’s arms though.

“Come here, Sweetie,” Felicity said.

Mae turned her eyes away from her baby brother to look at her mother briefly. She was clutching a nicely wrapped gift to her chest. At her mother’s request, she crossed the distance to the bed quickly though. She put the gift to the foot of the bed, slipped out of her shoes and climbing onto the bed. She snuggled up between her parents, careful not to touch her baby brother yet.

Felicity watched Mae’s face closely as she was taking in her baby brother. Her eyes were filled with amazement and so much love already. There was no doubt that she would do whatever she could to be the best big sister she could be. Felicity had never had any doubt about that anyway because Mae had never been anything but caring and loving.

“You gotta breathe, Sweetie,” Oliver whispered eventually, nudging Mae’s shoulder playfully.

Mae gasped for breath. She had apparently just forgotten to breathe, or maybe she had been scared that her baby brother would just break through breathing. She chuckled. She quickly focused back on looking at her baby brother though.

“Mae,” Felicity said eventually, “this is your brother Gabriel.”

“Gabriel?” Mae turned her head to look at Felicity. “Like your grandpa Gabriel?”

“Exactly,” Felicity replied with a smile. “And his middle name is Robert like Grandpa Robert.”

“Hi, Gabriel,” Mae whispered. “I am your sister Mae, well, Madeleine actually, but only Granny Moira and Raisa still call me that.”

Mae smiled at Gabriel, who was lying unmoving in Oliver’s arms. There was some hesitation, but she reached out her hand and stroked her fingertips over the back of Gabriel’s hand. The little boy opened his eyes briefly and squirmed in Oliver’s arms.

“Did I wake him up?”

“I don’t think so,” Felicity replied. “He might wake up soon though. I am sure he will be hungry soon. So far, he has been sleeping almost his entire life.”

Mae chuckled. “That isn’t really long yet.”

“True.” Felicity kissed her daughter’s head and let her head rest against hers for a moment. “Do you want to hold him?”

“Can I?”

“Of course,” Oliver replied. “Just hold out your arms.”

“What if I let him fall though?”

“That won’t happen,” Oliver reassured her immediately. “We trust you.”

“And I’ll help you a little until you feel sure, okay?”

Mae nodded her head and held out her hands. Felicity snuck her arms around her daughter, holding her forearms right under Mae’s arms to give them a little bit more leverage when Oliver rested Gabriel into her arms carefully. Only when Felicity was sure that Mae had him, she pulled her arms back. She held a supporting hand to the back of Gabriel’s head though. Just in case.

“He is so beautiful.”

Felicity smiled. “Daddy and I said the same thing just before you came in.”

They enjoyed a moment of quiet. Felicity’s eyes locked with Oliver’s over the head of their children, and neither of them was able to hide the joy they were feeling. Now this moment was really perfect.

“Mae, where is the gift you brought for Gabriel?” Oliver asked eventually, tapping his finger on the top of her head playfully. “Did grandma ask you to bring it?”

“I bought it for Gabriel.” Mae smiled proudly. “I used the money the tooth fairy brought me.”

Felicity felt her breath stutter as her heart jumped up into her throat. She had known that Mae wanted to bring a gift for her baby sibling. So far, she had believed that she would draw a picture or something though. To use the money that she had gotten from the tooth fairy to buy her brother a gift was incredible though.

“Mind if I open it?” Felicity asked.

“No, of course not.”

Oliver quickly leaned forward to grab the gift before Felicity had to move. He handed it to her, and Felicity ripped off the paper quickly. She felt her heart jump up and down in her chest with joy when she saw the stuffed crocodile with the music box inside.

Since Mae had been born, she had a pink octopus. Oliver had bought it for her before her birth. It had been supposed to always comfort Mae and always remind them of the long hours they had spent at the Aquarium here in Starling. It had been where they had spent countless hours when their relationship had still been a secret. Now it was a place they liked to go to with Mae and they would soon show to Gabriel too.

Three months ago, the Aquarium had gotten two new crocodiles, and Felicity doubted that it was a coincidence that Mae had chosen a crocodile for her baby brother to accompany him through life.

“This is beautiful, Mae,” Felicity whispered. “I love it, and I am sure Gabriel does too.”

“It’s really great.” Oliver kissed Mae’s head. “You did great, Sweetie. Where did you buy this though?”

“Internet.” Mae shrugged her shoulders. “Grandpa Walter helped a little, and Granny Moira said she’d wrap it, but I am sure Raisa did.”

Oliver and Felicity chuckled. That sounded about right. Felicity doubted that Moira even knew where to find the wrapping paper in her home.

When Gabriel released a low sound, Felicity pulled at the cord of the crocodile. The music box started playing a slow and soft melody, and Gabriel got quiet again, almost like he had always fallen asleep with this melody playing. Even Felicity felt like it could lull her into sleep right now. She enjoyed it.

With a sigh, Felicity closed her eyes and whispered, “I think I am going to fall asleep soon.”

“I think it’s time for a new family photo then,” Oliver said and quickly grabbed his phone from the floor. “It’s our tradition.”

Felicity cocked her head. “We only had one baby before Gabriel. That does not make a tradition yet.”

Oliver grinned, shooting her a look over the Mae’s head. “Then we will make it a tradition for the other twenty-eight kids we will have.”

Felicity tried to roll her eyes, but she couldn’t help but chuckle. She wrapped her arms around Mae and Gabriel, resting her cheek on the top of Mae’s head. Oliver leaned in closer to them and put one arm around all of them. With the other hand, he held his phone.

“Now, everyone say ‘cheese’.”


	8. Chapter 8

_6 months later_

“No way, Buddy.”

Gabriel only squealed and tried to roll away from her even more quickly. Just before he could roll off the blanket they had spread out, Felicity managed to grab her son’s feet and pull him back against her. Gabriel kicked with his feet and waggled his arms, but Felicity could see the amusement in his eyes.

“Oh, you think you are so funny, right?”

When Gabriel squealed again, Felicity lifted her son above her face. She held her arms stretched out completely, watching Gabriel having fun like that.

“Fifth floor,” Felicity said before she bent her arms a little. “Forth floor.”

She had always played that game with Mae too. When she had been at Gabriel’s age, she had loved this. The only thing she had enjoyed even more was if Oliver had thrown her up in the air for a couple of inches before catching her in his arms safely. Felicity had no idea how Mae had been able to like that. She hadn’t even been able to watch them playing like that without feeling nauseated or scared for her daughter’s life.

“Third floor.” Felicity bent her arms a little bit more. “Second floor.”

With Gabriel’s almost black curls and the steel blue eyes, he looked like he was a dark angel. He was, without any doubt, the most beautiful baby boy Felicity had ever seen. Some might say she was biased, but it had absolutely nothing to do with it. He just was that beautiful.

“First floor.”

It almost looked like Gabriel was holding his breath while he was waiting for the grand finale. He might only be six months old, but he was certainly old enough to understand this game. Or maybe it was just being so close to her face that made him expect the fun that was about to come. Smiling, Felicity bent her arms the rest of the way until Gabriel’s nose bumped against hers.

“Pling!”

Gabriel squealed out loud once more. Felicity lowered him onto her chest and kissed the crown of his head. His little body was sweaty, and her skin carried a thin layer of sweat too. They didn’t even have to lie in the middle of the Aruban sun to sweat like that. Nonetheless, the both of them enjoyed the little cuddle. There was never enough time for a mother to cuddle her baby.

Soon, way too soon for Felicity’s liking, Gabriel rolled off her body and back next to her. He grabbed his rattle and started chewing on it. His hands and feet held onto the toy at the same time, and he was releasing content sounds.

Felicity brushed her fingers through her son’s dark hair before she propped up herself onto her elbows and turned her gaze to the ocean where Oliver and Mae were swimming and playing. Unlike she herself and Gabriel with their sensitive skin, Oliver and Mae didn’t mind the Aruban sun at all.

Soon, Oliver’s eyes met Felicity’s. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had felt that she had been looking at him. That thought made her smile, and it didn’t take long for the same smile to be mirrored on Oliver’s face too.

When Mae splashed some water at him, Oliver turned back around to their daughter to go back to playing with her. Felicity took Oliver in like she already had thousands of times and would probably do uncountable times more. There was just no way Felicity would ever get tired of ogling him.

Oliver was tall and muscular. His broad chest with the defined abs and his strong arms conveyed a feeling of safety. Everything of him conveyed a feeling of safety for Felicity, but his outer appearance made it visible for anyone else to see. At the same time, the tanned skin and his beautiful face with the blue eyes and the scratchy stubble made him look oh so hot. Not even the huge scars on his back that told about the terrible time he had had on the island could change anything about that. He was the fantasy image of most women Felicity guessed, and a quick look around at all the other women ogling him made Felicity roll her eyes and chuckle.

Through the years, there had always been women who had thought that they had a right to do more than just look at Oliver. Because he was hot and young, they seemed to feel like Oliver being married and being a dad was more of a temporary condition than the way he had chosen his life to be. They had tried to allure him, and they had tried to pull him away from his family. Nothing had ever changed Oliver’s mind about who he was and where he belonged though, at least not in a way that had even had a chance of destroying who they were.

When Gabriel released a grumpy sound next to her, Felicity turned her attention back onto her son. Apparently, playing with the rattle didn’t make him happy anymore as he had thrown the toy away. With a quick glance at her phone, Felicity realized that it was time for Gabriel to take his nap. He was getting grumpy already.

With a sigh, Felicity sat up and rummaged around in their beach bag until she finally found the crocodile Mae had bought for her baby brother. Gabriel loved it so much that he could barely find his sleep without the music playing, so they were taking the crocodile wherever they went. If nothing managed to calm him down, this stuffed animal surely did.

Indeed, from the moment Felicity let the music play, Gabriel seemed to calm down. He was chewing on the tail tip of the toy, releasing small sounds.

“Hey.”

At the soft sound of Oliver’s voice, Felicity turned her head to see him standing close to her feet. Now that he was so close, she could see single drops of water running down his defined muscles. He looked like the kind of dessert she would enjoy devouring tonight.

“Felicity, my eyes are up here.”

Clearing her throat, Felicity lifted her gaze back to Oliver’s face. She was sure that her cheeks were reddened. At least from the heat she felt pooling in her cheeks she guessed so. Smiling, she bit down on her bottom lip.

Oliver just shook his wet hair, making drops of water fall onto Felicity and Gabriel. While Felicity chuckled lowly, Gabriel squealed out happily. He still held onto the tail of his crocodile, but his attention was now focused on Oliver.

“Hey, Buddy,” Oliver said and lay down on his stomach in front of Gabriel, so his forearms rested to both sides of his son and his face hovered right over hers. “Are you enjoying this last day at the beach?”

Felicity eyes continued watching Mae as she way playing in the sand. She was close to the water, so the temptation to just go back in and take a swim was probably high, so Felicity would better keep an eye on her daughter. At the same time, she pushed at Oliver’s shoulder though.

“Don’t remind me,” she said. “I still cannot believe that our vacation is already over again. We just got here.”

“It’s been two weeks.”

“Feels like two hours at most.”

Oliver shot her smile full of warmth, and Felicity allowed herself to take her eyes off Mae for a moment to look back at him. She could see in his eyes that he was just as sad about the end of their vacation as Felicity was since this was the last days they had before Oliver would reopen his restaurant. His first appointment for show cooking was only around two weeks away.

With two kids and two challenging jobs, it would be a lot harder to find time for each other. Admittedly, there hadn’t been too much time for just the two of them here either. The kids had kept them busy, but it had been nice to spend time as a family, and Oliver and Felicity had just stolen a moment just for themselves whenever they had gotten the chance to.

“I could stay here forever,” Oliver said eventually.

“Yeah.” Felicity sighed, turning her gaze back at Mae. “It’s a shame we can’t stay here forever.”

Oliver chuckled. “You’d get bored of it in two more weeks. You are a workaholic. I swear I can feel your fingers dancing over my skin at night like there was a keyboard you were typing on.”

“Oh, and you want to tell me you don’t miss cooking?” Felicity asked, glancing at him briefly. “I guess I just hallucinated you asking to see the kitchen at every restaurant then?”

“I just like kitchens.”

“Hm.”

Felicity hummed, shooting Oliver another brief glance. When he just chuckled, Felicity leaned over and kissed his shoulder. She could taste the salt of the ocean on his lips, and it tasted wonderful.

“We will have less time for each other,” Felicity said eventually, “but we won’t have less time with the kids. You have the kids in the morning to the afternoon, and I have the kids from the afternoon to the night.”

“We will still need Raisa’s help though.”

“Luckily, we already convinced her to help.”

Taking Gabriel’s hands and playing with them in front of their son’s eyes, Oliver frowned at Felicity.

“How did you even manage to do that?”

Felicity smiled innocently. She knew exactly what Oliver was referring to, but she wouldn’t let it show so easily.

“Manage to do what?”

“To convince my mother to share Raisa with us.”

“Raisa is her own person,” Felicity told him. “She agreed to working for us halftime too, so your mother couldn’t say much about it.”

From the corners of her eyes, Felicity could see Oliver struggling with her answer. He probably knew as much as she did that Moira could have indeed used a veto on this decision. Oliver and Felicity wouldn’t have snapped Raisa away from under Moira’s nose without her consent. They were family after all. Moira had just agreed that Raisa was the perfect person to help Oliver and Felicity with Mae and Gabriel, just like she had already helped raising Oliver and Thea.

“Oh, I am going to get this out of you,” Oliver whispered.

“Maybe in your dreams.”

Oliver pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, grinning at Felicity. She watched it from the corner of her eyes for a moment before she turned her head. Oliver propped himself up onto his hands quickly and moved over until he was resting on top of Felicity. Their chests pressed together close, and Oliver’s lips were only a couple of inches away from hers. It would be so easy to just kiss him.

When Oliver angled his head down, Felicity already lifted hers from the pillow. She thought their lips would meet in a gentle kiss, but just before their lips could brush together, Oliver turned his head to the side. His cheek came to rest against hers. His lips brushed against her ear.

“What if I took off your clothes and made sweet love to you tonight?”

Felicity felt herself shifting under Oliver’s body slightly. Heat was pooling between her legs already. The bare thought of having sex with Oliver just turned herself on beyond belief. All the memories she had of having sex with him were enough to make her want him again now.

“Tell me more,” Felicity whispered.

“Once the kids are in bed,” Oliver started and kissed the soft spot under her ear, “I will take off your dress. Then I will lead you to the bed and kiss every inch of your body. My lips and my tongue will explore every inch of your body. I will kiss, lick and nibble my way all over your skin, reexploring you for the umpteenth time.”

Felicity felt a low moan rising in her throat. She quickly bit into her bottom lip to bite that moan back. Right here and right now, there was no way she would give into how much she wanted Oliver.

When Oliver propped himself back up a little, so he could look at her face, Felicity saw the desire she was feeling mirrored in his eyes. His pupils were blown wide and the iris around darkened. It only turned her on more.

“I will turn you on your stomach and-“

“Okay, stop,” Felicity whispered and quickly slapped her hand over his mouth. “Just hold that thought for later.”

Felicity lifted her head from the beach towel and captured Oliver’s lips in a kiss. An unspoken promise lay in the way their lips brushed together.

Still, Felicity got the feeling that maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to kiss Oliver. She only felt herself wanting him more. Breaking the kiss and letting go of him felt impossible. Every cell in her body seemed to urge close to him, so she could feel him pressed against her. Between her legs, the exciting tingling-

“Mom! Dad!”

They pulled apart instantly. While no sound fell from Oliver’s lips Felicity could almost feel a growl rumbling through his chest. It made her chuckle and stroke her and up and down his back soothingly.

“What’s up, Kiddo?”

Mae came running towards them. Her skin was tanned from the two weeks of vacation, and little freckles were dancing around her nose. The last time Felicity had seen them in Mae’s face had been when she had been maybe three or four years old.

“Come back for another swim!”

Without any hesitation, she grabbed Oliver’s hand and tried to pull him back towards the water. The movement caused her bikini to move slightly. In comparison to the pale skin where the fabric had covered her skin from the sun, Felicity noticed the glint of red that covered her tanned skin.

“I think you need some more sunscreen first,” Felicity said. “Come on, sit down. Dad’s going to take care of it.”

Mae wasn’t happy about the interruption. She released a grumpy sound, but she crossed the distance towards her parents nonetheless. As soon as Oliver had lifted Gabriel, who was almost asleep now, into Felicity’s arms, she sat down on his crossed legs and let Oliver apply sunscreen to her skin.

“You should drink something.”

“I am not thirsty, Mom.”

“And still I want you to take some sips,” Felicity replied with a firmness in her voice that left no room for objection, so she handed her daughter a bottle of cooled water. “Do you want to eat a sandwich too?”

Mae shook her head. When Felicity cocked her head and puckered her lips in response, she released a dramatic sigh though. Rolling her eyes, Mae reached out her hand and took the sandwich Felicity held out for her.

While Felicity was watching Mae during her little break from playing in the sand and in the water, Gabriel released a little sound. Lowering her eyes to where Gabriel was lying on her legs, Felicity found that her son wasn’t sleeping. Instead, he was kicking his legs animatedly and squealing happily.

“Why are you awake?” Felicity asked and tickled his stomach. “You were supposed to nap.”

Gabriel only squealed out more loudly at that, making Felicity chuckle and shake her head.

“Sometimes I think he understands every word.”

“Well, he’s just as smart as you, Mom,” Mae replied, and when Felicity looked at her, she saw her daughter smiling with suspicious innocence. “Can I go back to the ocean now?”

Felicity grumbled half-heartedly. “Go.”

Mae didn’t have to be told twice. She quickly jumped up and ran towards the water before anyone could tell her to stop. Felicity looked after her, shaking her head with a chuckle.

“She really is your daughter.”

Oliver perked up his eyebrows. “Oh, really?”

“She has the tendency of charming her way out of whatever situation she can.”

“Well, I have no idea what you are talking about,” Oliver said. “I suggest you just lean back and relax a little, so you become even more beautiful than you are already, and I will take care of Mae.”

With that, Oliver leaned over and pecked her lips briefly. He got up on his feet and hurried after Mae quickly. On his way to the water, he shot a look back at her over his shoulder. He winked at her, making Felicity release a long sigh.

“Like father, like daughter.”

Felicity watched after the two of them for a moment longer. Oliver caught up on Mae eventually, and just lifted her into his arms and ran into the ocean where he threw Mae into the water. Even from the distance, Felicity could hear her daughter laugh. She really was a water lover from the heart.

Puckering her lips, she looked down at Gabriel. His eyes were already on her.

“What do you think, Buddy?” she asked and stroked her hand over Gabriel’s stomach. “Should we test the waters too?”

Gabriel squealed and reached out his hands for Felicity like he had just waited for her go. Grabbing his hands, Felicity leaned down and kissed them.

“Okay, we will take a little swim,” she said, “but first you need some sunscreen too.”

Felicity massaged the sun screen into Gabriel’s soft skin. He wasn’t happy about it, releasing little grumps of discomfort and trying to wiggle out of her touch. Felicity wouldn’t let him though. She put a shirt on him and a little hat to make sure he was protected from the sun before she lifted Gabriel into her arms and carried him over to the water.

“Hey, Mae, look who’s finally getting into the waters now.”

“Gabriel!”

Mae waded through the water towards Felicity and Gabriel. She cupped her hands and lowered them into the ocean. She lifted the water towards Gabriel’s feet and let it run over his naked legs. Gabriel squealed, kicking his legs.

Felicity lowered Gabriel a little until his feet were dangling in the ocean. He smiled at Felicity before he giggled and kicked his feet into the water so strongly that the water splashed at Mae, and it made everyone chuckle. Felicity watched her kids teasing each other, and she already knew that she was going to miss this quality family time they got to spend here.

Back in Starling, a lot of things would be different. She just hoped that this, the love they had for each other, would never change. Their love for each other was what made their family life so unique. She never wanted that to change.

* * *

Oliver brushed his fingertips up and down Felicity’s arm. He could feel goosebumps following his touch, and it made him smile. No matter how long they had been together now, Felicity’s body still reacted to a simple touch of his fingers like that.

When Felicity released a sigh, Oliver smiled. He angled his head forward to push his nose against the crown of her head and breathe her in. The scent of her sweet shampoo just helped him to relax even more than he had been already.

“Just because the vacation is over, that doesn’t mean we won’t have time for each other from now on,” Oliver whispered. “It won’t be like this, but we will still make time. We managed to do so before, why wouldn’t we do so now?”

Felicity angled her head back to look at Oliver. Her face was tired after the long day. A quiet smile was playing on her lips, but Oliver could see the glimpse of worry in her eyes. It made him tighten his hold on Felicity and lean over to brush his lips against her forehead in a reassuring kiss.

“We have just been so spoilt.”

Oliver sighed, nodding his head.

They really had been spoilt these last months. With Oliver’s paternal leave, he had been able to spend every single minute of every single day with Felicity and the kids. He had enjoyed it more than anything. He was looking forward to reopening his restaurant, but he knew that he would miss spending so many hours of his day with his family.

Before Gabriel had stepped into their lives, they had always had enough time for each other. At least it had felt like that for Oliver. He knew that with a baby everything was different though. Gabriel made their days unpredictable a lot of times, and he did demand a lot of time for just himself. They would have to be careful, so there was still enough time for Mae, enough time for each other and enough time for themselves.

“We will just have to make sure we will make the time.”

“Yeah.”

Nodding her head, Felicity rested her hand over his heart. His heart made a jump, almost like it tried to high-five Felicity’s hand. It settled into a slow and relaxed rhythm soon though. Her presence always had that effect on him.

With a deep sigh, Felicity snuggled her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes. Oliver knew that she wasn’t falling asleep though. She was just relaxing a little to gather energy for the rest of their night. As tired as she may be, Oliver knew that she hadn’t forgotten what they wanted to do tonight.

Taking in a deep breath, Oliver rested his head back against the wall too. He grabbed the glass of wine from the small table and looked over the garden of their hotel. It wasn’t too late for everyone to be asleep. He could hear noises from the pool bar at the other end of the garden, but he didn’t mind. Up here on the balcony of their hotel suite, everything was quiet, and that was all that mattered.

Putting his glass back, Oliver rested his chin on the top of Felicity’s head. His fingers combed through her hair slowly. His fingernails scratched over her scalp lightly. Felicity responded to that with a content sigh and snuggled even close to him.

They lay like that in silence for a long time. Despite how much Oliver had been looking forward to spend this last night here on Aruba making sweet love to Felicity, he couldn’t say that falling asleep like this was any less tempting. Usually, as long as Felicity was safe in his arms, everything was perfect.

“Why did John call you before?”

Felicity’s question came out of nowhere. It took Oliver a moment to make sense of her words until he remembered the phone call.

“He had news that he wanted me to hear from him rather than anyone else.”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows. “Did someone break into our house?”

Oliver chuckled, knowing Felicity wasn’t serious in the first place. He could see it in the amusement that sparkled in her eyes.

“No,” he said and sighed. “He hired Adrian Chase.”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows even more. “Really?”

He couldn’t say what Felicity was thinking about this decision. Knowing his wife, he doubted that she was opposed to John’s decision. Unlike he himself, she had never held a grudge against Adrian Chase for being unable to do his job and protect their family from that stalker that had tormented them half a year ago.

Oliver sighed, brushing his lips against the crown of Felicity’s head. He hadn’t wanted to think about that stalker, especially not today. It was bad enough that the thought of that guy still kept Oliver awake at least one night every other week. He wasn’t supposed to ruin their last day of vacation though.

“Really,” Oliver said eventually, clearing his throat. “My mom wanted John to talk to us first before he made a final decision. In case we feel that he shouldn’t be hired-“

“I don’t mind him,” Felicity interrupted Oliver. “I know you blame him for what happened, but it wasn’t his fault.”

Oliver just grumbled words that he was sure Felicity couldn’t understand. She wasn’t supposed to understand him though. He knew she didn’t agree with him anyway.

“Hey,” Felicity said gently, rubbing her hand over his heart. “Let’s not think about this tonight. It’s our last day of vacation. It’s supposed to be an amazing experience, not a night of sorrow.”

“And what do you suggest?”

Felicity’s lips spread to a teasing smile. She wiggled with her eyebrows, pushing her tongue against the inside of his cheek.

“Let’s go inside, and I will tell you.”

Oliver didn’t have to be told twice. He leaned over and captured Felicity’s lips in a passionate kiss. A moan escaped her, and he swallowed the sound gladly. Stroking his tongue into her mouth, Oliver moved his hand to the back of her knee and pulled her leg over him. Felicity straddled his hips easily, pushing herself as close to him as possible.

“Felicity.”

Her name escaped his lips like a sacred prayer. He sat up more straightly, so he could press his chest against hers. His hands came to rest on her hips. He used his hold on her to guide her movements. Her hands moved into his short hair grabbed some strands, pulling him closer to her.

“Bed,” she growled eventually. “Now.”

Oliver followed her demand willingly. He tightened his hold on her hips, making sure she was resting against him safely, before he got up. He blinked through one eye to make sure he wouldn’t stumble on the way over the small balcony back to the door to their hotel suite. He pushed the curtains aside and stepped into the bedroom, letting the curtains fall shut behind them.

Oliver lay Felicity down in the bed, blanketing her body with his immediately. Her ribs pressed against his chest, and Oliver could feel her heartbeat against his body. Releasing a long breath, Oliver moved his right hand from her hip over her waist to her ribcage. Her heart was beating against the palm of her hand now. It jumped up and down there rapidly until the touch of his hand calmed her heart down.

His touch was as light as a feather. He let his fingertips brush back down over her ribcage, feeling every single rib under his fingers, just like he felt her ribcage expanding with every breath she took. He loved the feeling.

Stroking his tongue even deeper into Felicity’s mouth, he pressed his hips against hers. Felicity moaned and arched her back. It caused her body to press even closer to his. Her legs wrapped around his hips, and she used that hold on him to move against him. Oliver groaned and deepened the kiss once more. His fingertips snuck beneath the hem of Felicity’s top and-

Gabriel’s cries made them pull apart with a groan. Oliver dropped his head against Felicity’s shoulder and squeezed his eyes shut. His body slumped onto hers completely, pressing her down in the mattress.

“He’s got that from his sister,” Oliver groaned.

“Yes, he does.”

Felicity chuckled, stroking her hand up and down Oliver’s back. He lifted his head from her shoulder to look at Felicity. Her pupils were dilated from the same hunger she was feeling for him, and her lips were slightly swollen from their kiss. They looked so incredibly kissable that Oliver had to look away, or he knew he would just lose himself in looking at her mouth.

“I will go and take care of him,” Oliver said with a sigh.

“Preferably before Mae will wake up.”

Oliver groaned, rolling his eyes. If Mae woke up too, they could be sure that they wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to their vacation the way they were intending to. Mae would sneak into Felicity’s bed and fall back asleep there, snuggled up to her mother. When Oliver would try to lift her from the bed and carry her back to the room where she was sleeping with her baby brother, she would tighten her hands to fists in her mother’s top. There was no way she would go back to her bed.

“Wait here,” Oliver said and pecked Felicity’s lips. “Don’t move.”

Felicity stretched out her arms over her head and arched her back. She yawned heartedly.

“I am not planning to move anytime soon.”

Oliver pointed a finger at her, already walking backwards towards the room where the kids were sleeping.

“And don’t you dare fall asleep.”

“I would never.”

Felicity grinned, remembering as well as Oliver did that she had fallen asleep in situations like this a lot of times. Oliver couldn’t hold it against her though. It had happened to him once or twice too.

Oliver winked at Felicity before he turned around and disappeared into the second bedroom. His eyes only needed a couple of seconds to adjust to the dark. He saw Mae sleeping in the king-sized bed that was way too big for her tiny body. She was sleeping on her stomach with her face in the pillow and both her arms and legs stretched away from her. If Oliver hadn’t seen her sleeping like this at least a thousand times before, he would probably think she was dead.

Tearing his eyes away from Mae, he looked at the small crib that had been set up at the side of the room. Oliver could see Tommy lying there with his legs stretched into the air and his arms waving up and down like they always did when he was really upset.

“Hey,” Oliver whispered and stepped towards the bed. “We gotta be quiet, Buddy. Otherwise, Mae will wake up and sneak into moma’s bed, and dada won’t get a happy ending to his vacation.”

He rested his forearms on the bars of the bed and looked at his son. Gabriel calmed down the moment he saw his dad’s face. Still, he released another whine as he reached out his hands for his dad to pick him up.

“Come here, Buddy.”

Oliver lifted Gabriel into his arms and kissed the crown of his head. When he held his son against him, Gabriel made himself comfortable. He turned his head, so his forehead was resting against the side of Oliver’s neck. His little fist clenched around the hem of Oliver’s shirt.

“It’s okay, Gabriel,” Oliver whispered and kissed the crown of his son’s head once more. “It’s all okay.”

On the tips of his toes, Oliver went up and down in the room. He walked slowly, rubbing his hand up and down Gabriel’s back at the same time. The slow movements and the warmth of Oliver’s hand seemed to soothe him.

“That’s better, right?” Oliver asked. “Do you think I can lie you back down now?”

Oliver walked back over to the crib. As soon as he leaned over to lay him back down, Gabriel tensed though. Before he could release a sound of discomfort, Oliver tightened his arms around his son quickly.

“Don’t worry. I am not letting go of you.”

Going back to walking up and down in the dark room, Oliver thought about the uncountable times he had been walking up and down like this with Mae. When she had been at Gabriel’s current age, they had already lived in Boston. Without the help of their parents, life had been so much more difficult for Felicity and him. Raising a baby without the help of actual adults with experience had been incredibly hard.

Oliver smiled softly. There had been a time that those memories had filled him with something he didn’t even know how to name. He hadn’t been annoyed or angry because having Mae had always been the best decision Oliver had made. He had never, not even for a single second in his life, regretted it. Being a dad had always meant a lot of him, and he had always known that life without Mae would be a life that would miss a lot of the happiness and joy he had felt in his life.

Ever since the island and that horrible year he had spent away from everything and everyone he loved, there had never been anything but love for his family. He had never wanted anything more than to be with Felicity, Mae and now Gabriel too. Nothing and nobody was as important to him as they were.

It took ten minutes before Gabriel eventually fell asleep after all. His breathing evened out, and his muscles relaxed. When Oliver tried to lie him down this time, Gabriel let it happen. He only released a sleepy sound.

“Pst,” Oliver hushed his son softly. “It’s okay, Buddy.”

Oliver stayed at the side of his son’s bed for a moment longer. Stroking his hand over Gabriel’s warm tummy, he made sure that the baby really was asleep. Only when he was sure that Gabriel wouldn’t wake up the moment Oliver would step away from his bedside, Oliver really stepped away.

He made a short detour to the king-sized bed. Brushing some strands of Mae’s hair away, he tried to uncover her face. He didn’t get to see much more than half of her cheek though, so Oliver turned Mae around carefully until she was resting on her back. She rolled onto her side immediately, but Oliver didn’t mind.

“Sleep tight,” he whispered and kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams.”

By the time he had reached the door, Mae had already turned back onto her stomach and her face was pressed into the pillow again. Oliver had no idea how she was even able to breathe like that. As long as she felt comfortable that way, he didn’t mind though.

He slipped out of the room with a low sigh. After he had closed the door behind him, Oliver waited for another three seconds to make sure that the kids really were asleep. Only then he turned back to the bed.

Seeing Felicity sleeping in the bed, he released a low chuckle. He should have known that she would fall asleep. She had been so tired all evening, and it had been a really long day.

Smiling, Oliver stepped to the foot of the bed and just watched Felicity for a while. She looked like an angel with the blonde hair resting around her head on the pillow. Her face was peaceful, and Oliver could almost see a soft smile playing on her lips.

Oliver didn’t hesitate long. He slipped out of his clothes and crawled into bed. The pleasant breeze that came inside the room from the open balcony door allowed him to curl up against Felicity’s back. He reached his arm around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. When she sighed contently in response, Oliver smiled.

“Night, Hon,” he whispered. “Sweet dreams.”

* * *

“Hon,” Oliver whispered with soft voice. “Wake up, Hon. We are home.”

Felicity sighed sleepily. She didn’t want to open her eyes and wake up completely yet. As long as she was sleeping, even if it was just partly, she could pretend to still be in Aruba.

“Felicity.”

Oliver’s lips brushed against hers gently. Despite how tired Felicity was, she just had to respond to the kiss. When Oliver wanted to pull back, her lips followed his until her head was no longer resting against the headrest of the passenger seat.

A moment later, their lips parted, and Felicity opened her eyes with a little groan that made Oliver chuckle. He squeezed her thigh.

“You only need to get through the next twenty minutes,” Oliver whispered. “Then you can curl up in bed next to me, and we will enjoy some much-needed sleep. At least until these monsters here wake up.”

He nodded towards the back seats where Mae and Gabriel were both fast asleep. They had fallen asleep the moment they had been put into their car seats at the airport. As hyped as they still had been during the flight back to Starling, the tiredness had succeeded in the very moment they had been back to their usual environment.

Felicity smiled at the two of them. As long as they were asleep, they looked so wonderfully peaceful and calm. It seemed impossible that the same two kids could cost Felicity all the energy she had for the day in only a couple of hours. The next days would be particularly exhausting given the jet lag the kids as well as she and Oliver would have to go through.

“Okay,” she said eventually, releasing a tired yawn. “Let’s get the kids into bed.”

“I will get the suitcases into the house and carry Mae upstairs.”

Felicity nodded. “I’ll take Gabriel.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Oliver leaned over and pecked Felicity’s lips briefly. While he already got out of the car and towards the trunk, Felicity stretched out her arms and legs for a moment. It didn’t exactly help to make her feel any less tired than she was, but it helped her to feel a little bit more connected to her limbs.

By the time Felicity finally got out of the car, Oliver was already halfway to the door. She had no idea where he was taking all this energy from. She guessed it was his year away on the island and the constant fear or being killed any minute that kept him from feeling as tired as Felicity did. She didn’t want to think about that right now though.

She opened the door to the back seats and unfastened Gabriel’s baby seat. The moment the seat fastener clicked, Mae released a low grumble and turned her face towards her mother. She looked at her with sleepy eyes.

“Mom?”

“Hey, Sweetie,” Felicity whispered. “We’re home.”

“But I am tired.”

“So am I, Sweetie.” Felicity chuckled. “Just close your eyes. Daddy’s going to carry you upstairs in a minute.”

“Okay.”

With that, Mae just closed her eyes and fell back asleep. Her head fell forward until her chin was resting on her chest. A soft snore fell from her lips, and Felicity had to press her lips together to not start laughing.

“Come here, Buddy,” she whispered to her sleeping baby boy and lifted his baby seat from the back of the car. “We are going to put you to your crib now and-“

“Get back into the car.”

Felicity lifted her head to see Oliver walking back towards her. His steps were firm and quick. The content expression that had been on his face even a few minutes back had disappeared now. Instead, there was a deep frown on his forehead and his eyes were filled with anger.

“What’s wrong?” Felicity asked.

“Doesn’t matter,” Oliver replied, his voice almost lowered to a growl. “We are going to spend the night at my mother’s.”

Felicity frowned. “Why?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Oliver just replied once more. “Just get back into the car.”

Oliver already wanted to turn her back around and push her towards the car, but Felicity didn’t let herself be briefed like this. She stayed where she was, looking from Oliver towards the door that had been left slightly ajar and back to Oliver again.

Felicity couldn’t say how long it took her, but it did indeed take some time before she connected the dots. Her fingers tightened around the handle of Gabriel’s car seat.

She already knew or at least suspected what was wrong, but she couldn’t get herself to actually verbalize that thought in her head yet. It was there, but she couldn’t force herself to grasp it, It would only make it more real.

“Take Gabriel.”

“Felicity-“

“Take Gabriel.“

Felicity’s voice was lowered to a whisper but it didn’t miss any determination. She knew Oliver wanted to protect her from whatever he had seen inside, but she knew she had to see it with her own eyes. She wasn’t carrying a baby inside of her that she had to protect right now. Going in there and seeing what Oliver had seen and what had unsettled him so much was what she needed right now. She couldn’t close her eyes if the worst that could possibly happen was really happening here right now.

Oliver hesitated, but he took Gabriel from Felicity eventually. She looked at him for a moment later before she walked towards the door. She hesitated briefly before she took in a deep breath and stepped inside.

The house was quiet, and it looked undisturbed. Felicity wasn’t sure what she had thought she would find inside the house. She hadn’t expected it to look this calm though. Maybe the impression just deceived.

As quietly as possible, almost like she was afraid to wake up any sleeping ghosts, Felicity walked through the foyer of her house. She looked around, trying to find anything that was unusual, but everything looked the same it had when they had left for their vacation.

Her feet carried her to the living room. The door had been left ajar, and light came into the foyer from there. Felicity’s hand trembled slightly when she lifted her hand and rested her fingers against the door. She had to take in a deep breath before she felt ready to push the door open.

What she saw at the other side made her breath falter. She could almost feel her heart skipping a few beats until it started racing in her chest. Goosebumps spread all the way down her back, following the cold shiver that ran down there.

The entire living room was drowned in roses. They covered the floor and the furniture and everything around. The entire living room was covered in red. The sight in front of Oliver blurred for a moment, almost making it look like a pool of blood.

She reached out her hand for the edge of the cabinet to her right as her legs started trembling. Doing so, her fingers grazed against some paper. Turning her head, she looked at the card beneath her fingertips. She took in a deep breath and lifted the card a little, so she could read the letters there were written inside.

_I am glad you’re back. I missed you, and nothing will stand in our way of being together this time._

Felicity swallowed hard. She had already known that this was what had upset Oliver. Yet, reading it and having it confirmed just made it so much realer.

Her stalker was back. Felicity had no idea what to do about that.


	9. Chapter 9

Felicity had always believed that the use of slow motion in a scene where someone watched their home being investigated after a crime was overdone. It had felt uninspired since she had been sure that there were a thousand different ways to create a scene like that and make it special.

Right now, Felicity realized that it had nothing to do with any special effects that should be used though. It was just the reality of the situation. When strangers were walking through your home, taking a close look at everything you owed, it just felt like it was happening in slow motion. It seemed like time just didn’t want to pass, and all Felicity could do was lean back and watch it all play out.

Slowly, she turned her head. From where she was sitting at the kitchen table, she could see into the living room. Police was taking photos and preserving the traces the stalker had hopefully left. Quentin and John were talking in one corner of the room, looking at the mess of roses on the hardwood floor. Mae was sitting on Oliver’s lap at the other side of the table, fighting sleep while Oliver was whispering soothing words into her ear.

A loud noise made Felicity flinch and squeeze her eyes shut for a moment. As soon as she opened the again, she saw Quentin rant with one of the officers who had apparently dropped the fern that had been placed on the window sealing down on the floor.

“Hey, be careful!”

His voice was harsh, and his eyes showed anger. It didn’t last long as he turned back towards John quickly though. They went back to huddling together and whispering. They cast nervous and worried glances towards Felicity occasionally.

“You should go to bed, Mae,” Oliver whispered to their daughter. “Just go upstairs and ask Granny Donna to put you to bed.”

“I don’t want to go to bed,” Mae just repeated for the umpteenth time tonight. “I want to stay here with you.”

Oliver shot Felicity a brief look, but she just shrugged her shoulders. They couldn’t force Mae to go upstairs, or they could do so, but it wouldn’t lead them anywhere. Mae wouldn’t be able to find any rest with everything that was going on down here.

“Just rest your head against my shoulder and close your eyes for a little,” Oliver said gently. “It’s been a long day.”

“But I’m not tired.”

Oliver kissed her temple, putting his hand against her forehead and urging it back gently until Mae’s head came to rest against his shoulder with a sigh. She stayed there, tiredness visible in her face. A little deeper, Felicity could see worry and maybe even a little bit of fear too.

Felicity watched her hand on the tabletop. She tried forcing herself to stop rubbing her thumb against the other fingertips. As much as she was willing to stop the nervous tick she had adapted from Oliver, her fingers refused to be still. Only when Oliver reached out his hand and laced his fingers through hers, Felicity stopped.

Lifting her gaze, she found that his eyes were already on hers. He was looking at her thoroughly. His eyes warm and full of comfort though they showed little hope. He was as shocked about what had happened to them here tonight as she was.

Just when Oliver took in a breath to say something, Felicity noticed some movements in his back. John and Quentin were approaching them, and Felicity nodded in their direction. Oliver tightened his hand around her fingers and shot a look back over his shoulder.

“There is no evidence that someone broke in,” Quentin said with serious voice as soon as he was close to them. “If it wasn’t for that mess in the living room, I would see no sign of any abnormality.”

“But there is that mess in the living room.”

Oliver’s voice was quiet. It might partly be because Mae had finally fallen asleep against his shoulder. Felicity didn’t miss the beat of a threat that was deep in his voice though. He almost growled the words, the anger he felt at this threat ahead of them audible in it.

“The stalker is back,” John said, nodding his head. “Unlike the police, I don’t have to be careful about any suspicions. The fact that, after months of being calm, he comes back like this is a reason to worry. He’s escalating, and he’s escalating quickly. He doesn’t show any boundaries like he did before. He’s searching for contact much more aggressively now.”

Felicity felt her fingers clench around Oliver’s hand firmly. Everything John said just worried her more. She had already known that this was dangerous, but hearing him confirming it only made it worse.

“There are only three keys to the house,” Oliver said. “We both got one and you have one, John. How did the stalker get in here if he didn’t break in?”

“We don’t know that yet,” Quentin replied.

“We will find out though.”

Felicity looked at John, trying to find any doubt in his eyes. Like so often, her friend was completely calm though. He might be worried, but he was confident, and it prompted Felicity to feel just a little bit safer. Unlike the last time this stalker had haunted her, now she had a good friend and her stepfather to help watching out for her. She knew John would do a great job and so would Quentin.

“When did you last check the house?” Oliver asked John. “You came here daily, so the frame of time has to be small.”

“I have left here around five.”

“Four officers are already questioning the neighbors. Maybe someone saw anything.”

Compared to what Felicity had read about investigations against stalkers and compared to what the police had done half a year ago, this felt like a lot to Felicity. She guessed it was benefit of being the Captain’s stepdaughter.

“We did take some fingerprints, but those were probably yours,” Quentin said. “We will-“

“Fingerprints?”

Mae opened her eyes slowly. She blinked a couple of times before rubbed her hands over her eyes. She sat up more straightly and looked at her grandfather with a tired smile that showed excitement.

“Can you take my fingerprints?”

Quentin chuckled, stroking his hand over her hair. “Don’t you think it’s time for bed?”

“No,” Mae said, waving with her hand slightly. “I am not tired at all.”

The deep yawn betrayed her. Quentin only chuckled. He was about to answer, probably turning her down if the expression on his face was any indication. Before he got to say anything, Mae already jumped off Oliver’s lap and ran across the room.

“Adrian!”

Mae jumped up at Adrian, who caught her easily. He wrapped his arms around her waist and swayed from one sight to the other a little. He was smiling brightly, and warmth was shining in his eyes. There was no doubt that he enjoyed this as much as Mae did.

The sight made Felicity smile. Mae and Adrian had been close during the weeks he had worked for the Queens the last time. Mae had been heartbroken when Adrian had been fired and had no longer been part of their lives. Of course having John back had comforted her, but she had still missed Adrian.

“I hear you want your fingertips taken?” Adrian asked.

Mae nodded her head eagerly. “Yes.”

With a soft smile, Adrian nodded towards the stairs. “Come on. We will go upstairs and do this.”

“Cool!”

As soon as he let Mae down, she ran ahead. Adrian looked after her for a moment before he turned his head to Felicity and Oliver. Felicity smiled at him briefly, and he smiled back at her. Only when his eyes apparently found Oliver’s and didn’t found the same warmth as in Felicity’s, Adrian’s smile faded. He quickly cleared his throat and followed Mae towards the stairs.

“That will at least distract her for a while,” Felicity said with a low sigh. “That’s good.”

Oliver’s eyes showed hesitation when Felicity turned towards him. She frowned, asking what was wrong without saying a word. Shaking his head slightly, Oliver looked at John.

“What are we going to do now?” he asked. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

That fact that they hadn’t been able to do anything had probably been the worst part about the first time the stalker had been around. Waiting for him to attack again and maybe leave a trace they could follow was a terrible way to deal with a stalker. It only made you feel more helpless than you did already.

“We will increase security to 24/7. I will accompany Felicity wherever she goes. Someone is going to watch the house too. Maybe it would be better if you stayed at your mother’s place for the night and-“

“No,” Felicity replied immediately, shaking her head. “This situation is confusing enough for Mae. We are not going to put her through that too. We are going to stay here.”

Oliver didn’t look exactly convinced, but he didn’t want to fight her on that apparently. He squeezed her hand and lifted it to his lips. He brushed a kiss against the palm of her hand and nodded.

“We are going to stay here,” he agreed, looking at John. “Can that be arranged?”

John nodded. “I’ll take care of anything.”

He squeezed Felicity’s shoulder briefly before he turned around and walked away. Felicity closed her eyes with as sigh and lifted Oliver’s hand to her face. She snuggled her cheek into his touch and allowed herself to rest for a moment.

“We will make this,” Oliver whispered. “We are going to catch him this time.”

Not opening her eyes, Felicity just nodded her head. She wasn’t sure if she really believed that. She wanted to believe that, but she really wasn’t sure. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, and Oliver brushed it away with his thumb.

“It’s going to be okay.”

 

* * *

 

Oliver should have known that not even the little garden party with all of their family and friends here would help distracting him. In the past weeks, although everything had been quite and the stalker hadn’t tried to get into contact with Felicity again, his thoughts had been revolving around the stalker. The fact that someone was out there and trying to get to Felicity, intending to hurt her or even worse, unsettled him.

By now, they had changed the locks at their doors and his mother’s security staff was keeping an eye on all of them. Apart from that, they were trying to live their life as normally as they could. ‘Trying’ being the keyword here.

While those calm weeks between his attacked allowed them to catch their breath a little, it also made it worse. They were constantly living with the fear in the back of their neck. As much as they could catch their breath, they couldn’t ever relax. They knew that if they allowed themselves to lean back and relax a little, the shock about another attack would only hit them all the harder.

With a low sigh, Oliver rested his head against the wall he was leaning at and watched Felicity even more closely. She was sitting at the garden table, chatting with Laurel and Lyla. She was having fun, smiling and laughing about what her friends were saying, but Oliver knew that the impression was deceiving. She wasn’t nearly as carefree as she might look right now.

In the last weeks, nightmares had haunted Felicity in her sleep. She had been restless as soon as the darkness had settled, turning from one side to the other between the sheets. Whenever Oliver had woken up to her nervous movements and her erratic whispers, he had moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her against him. Usually, it had only taken a couple of minutes before she had eventually relaxed in his arms.

She was better now. She wasn’t as nervous as she had been the first days after their return from Aruba. She was sleeping a little bit more calmly. She was still far from being okay though, and so was Oliver.

When John approached him, a bottle of beer in each hand, Oliver straightened up a little quickly. He took the bottle his friend offered with a brief nod of gratitude. Neither of them said a word as they clinked their bottles and took a huge gulp.

Having John and Quentin around this time made Oliver feel a little bit safer. Both of them had thorough experience with cases like these. John was experienced in the security brand, and Quentin had seen basically everything possible in his career at the SCPD. Besides, both of them cared about Felicity deeply, so he was sure that they were putting a lot more effort into this case than anyone else who had worked on it so far.

“Relax.”

At John’s words, Oliver only sucked in a deep breath. He felt his muscles tensing even more. The thought of relaxing just prompted him to do the opposite right now.

Oliver knew that if there was any situation to relax, it was right now. Everyone was here together. Felicity, Mae and Gabriel were safe with him. His mother’s security staff was observing the near environment in case someone would bother him. Since it was still the middle of the day, Oliver doubted the stalker would show up though.

Right now, was the perfect time to relax, but Oliver couldn’t see himself relaxing for even just a second. He was too afraid of the consequences.

“If you can’t relax for yourself, try relaxing for Felicity,” John told him. “Your nervousness is affecting her.”

Frowning, Oliver turned his head to look at John. “What?”

John just nodded towards Felicity. Oliver’s frown deepened as he had watched her for a long time already. Still, he turned his head to look at her once more.

It didn’t take long for him to notice what John meant. While Felicity was still chatting with Laurel and Lyla, she glanced at him occasionally. Whenever she did, she stroked her hand through her hair or bit down on her bottom lip. Both of those were symptoms of nervousness. He had seen them before, but he hadn’t connected them to looking at him until now.

Taking in another deep breath, Oliver forced himself to relax a little. His muscles were still tense, but he managed to smile softly. When Felicity’s eyes found his the next time, they lingered on his face for a moment longer. She smiled back at him, warmth filling her eyes, before she looked away.

Oliver sighed quietly. He should have known that his nervousness was affecting Felicity. Their feelings and their thoughts always affected what the other was thinking and feeling. They were connected like that, true soulmates as you could only have one.

“I am scared, John.”

Oliver whispered the words so quietly that he was surprised John actually heard them. They way his friend looked at him left no doubts about that though.

His fingers tightened around his bottle of beer as Oliver felt his chest tighten with this feeling of fear that seemed to accompany him wherever he went now. It wasn’t the first time that he felt like this, paralyzed by that heavy feeling in his chest that seemed to form around his heart and hold it in a tight grip. Whenever he realized the feeling had come back, it seemed to intensify a lot.

“I know that,” John replied with low voice, “and you have every right to be scared. What’s happening to you and Felicity is scaring.”

Oliver nodded his head and suck in a deep breath. He knew that wallowing in self-pity about what was happening to them was not helping them at all. Still, it just felt good to have someone confirm to him that his feelings were legit.

“I just wished there was more I could do,” Oliver continued eventually. “I hate that we have to wait for him to attack again. I read about other cases of stalkers that are similar aggressive like this one. I can barely sleep anymore, John.”

Since the Gambit had sunken, Oliver was used to sleepless nights. Some nights, he was just staring at the ceiling or watching Felicity sleep. Those nights had become rarer through the years. They still happened occasionally though.

It wasn’t the sleeplessness that bothered Oliver about his latest nights. It was the overwhelming fear that something terrible was about to happen. Usually, watching Felicity sleeping next to him safely had often been enough to feel calmer and drift off at least into a light sleep eventually. This was different though because whenever he closed his eyes, he was afraid that something would happen to her.

Oliver wasn’t the kind of person that was afraid of a lot of things. That year on the island, alone in the cold darkness, had taught him what was really worth being afraid of. This stalker did scare him though.

“You are doing anything you can do right now,” John soothed him. “It sucks, but it’s the truth. Just be there for Felicity and let her be there for you. If you want to get through this, you have to do it together.”

“Don’t worry,” Oliver said and took a few gulps of his beer. “We are not in high school or in college anymore. Felicity and I know that we are the strongest when we are together. Everything we do, we do together.”

Weirdly, years ago, a situation like this might have challenged their relationship to a point that it might have broken them. For too long, their relationship had been incredibly unstable. They had both been too insecure to stay strong against struggles. That was different now though.

Oliver’s eyes found Felicity’s. Though he could almost see that she wanted to look away quickly, she held his gaze. Her eyes turned even warmer, and a soft smile spread on her lips. Oliver felt his fear fading a little bit.

When music sounded through the garden, Oliver broke eye contact. He found Donna playing at some buttons on the stereo until she found a good song.

“It’s a party after all, isn’t it?” she asked with a chuckle when she turned back around and found all eyes on her. “What’s a party without some dancing?”

Oliver smiled when Donna made some dancing moves as she walked back to the table and sat down in the chair next to her husband. Quentin reached out his hand and squeezed her fingers, looking at Donna with eyes full of love.

There was no way for Oliver to deny that he had missed his mother-in-law while she had been on her world cruise. Over the years, he had grown incredibly close to her. She was like a second mother to him. She was completely different from his own mother, very motherly in her own special way.

Puckering his lips, Oliver put his beer away and crossed the distance to the table. He took Felicity’s hand, making her lift her gaze at him with surprise.

“Dance with me.”

Felicity’s surprise only increased if the expression on her face was any indication. Oliver chuckled. He knew that Felicity wasn’t used to him asking her to dance. In all the years they had been together, he had always said that he couldn’t dance which was true. All he could do was swaying in time with the music. Even that wasn’t something he’d say he was particularly good at though, so he avoided it as much as he could.

“Come on.”

Oliver whispered the words, already taking Felicity’s hand. He laced his fingers through hers and pulled her from her chair. Felicity followed him to the lawn where Oliver snuck his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. Felicity leaned her head back, smiling at him with eyes full of warmth and full of love.

Her hand stroked from his elbow up his upper arm to Oliver’s shoulder and finally to the back of his neck. Her fingertips moved through the short strands of hair at the nape of his neck. Oliver leaned his head back slightly, getting closer to the touch of her fingers. He smiled at the pleasant feeling of a warm shiver running down the length of his spine.

“So, what does this mean?”

Felicity’s voice was lowered to a whisper while she was speaking. From the corner of his eyes, Oliver could see that their guests were pretending not to watch them at all. He didn’t miss the glances they shot in their direction occasionally though. Oliver didn’t particularly mind being watched, especially since everyone here had seen him and Felicity being affectionate towards each other a lot of times before.

Oliver took in a deep breath, looking over Felicity’s head for a moment. He had never been good at talking. He had gotten better at it over the years, but he still wasn’t good at it.

Luckily, Felicity knew and respected that.

With a soft smile on his lips, Oliver looked back at Felicity. Her eyes were still focused on him. The expression in them was calm and warm. It infected him, making warmth spread in his chest too.

“I just needed something to clear my mind,” Oliver whispered, his voice hoarse. “My thoughts are still… occupied.”

Felicity’s smile wavered briefly. Oliver spread his fingers against the small of her back soothingly at the sight, and Felicity leaned more against him in response. The corner of her mouth twitched into a half hearted smile.

“All of this is still on my mind too,” Felicity replied softly. “I thought this little party would help, but this feeling is still there.”

Oliver nodded, knowing exactly what Felicity meant. Being busy wasn’t enough to keep them distracted from what was currently happening to them. Only having each other and their kids close where they knew they were safe allowed them to feel a little bit safer. They were what they needed.

“There really were no texts and no calls? Nothing?”

It wasn’t that Oliver didn’t trust Felicity. He trusted her more than anyone else. It was just that he knew that her urge to protect him was as intense as his urge to protect her. They would always protect each other if they were given the chance to.

Oliver remembered that when the stalker had been around the first time and Felicity had been forced into bedrest, she had asked him the same. She had trusted him, and she hadn’t meant to reproach him with anything. She just hadn’t trusted the calm, and the most logical explanation for her had been that he had held back information from her to protect her.

Felicity put her hand to his cheek and moved her fingers through his stubble slightly.

“There is nothing,” she reassured him. “I would have told you.”

Oliver nodded his head. He didn’t need any more confirmation because he knew Felicity would never lie to him if he asked her directly. Neither would he lie to her if she asked him something directly.

“I am worried though,” Felicity added eventually, her voice lowered even more. “John said that the stalker is more aggressive this time. What if he’s planning something? Something bigger than what he did so far?”

Oliver sucked in a deep breath, feeling the tension return to his muscles. He nodded his head, knowing exactly what she meant. He had been thinking about it a lot of times too.

“I know this doesn’t help,” he said after a moment, locking his eyes back onto Felicity’s, “but we have to relax.”

Felicity perked up her eyebrows, looking at him with doubt. Her hand stroked from his cheek down to the nape of his neck. Her fingertips dug into his tensed muscles there, making Oliver groan slightly.

“You don’t seem particularly relaxed.”

“I am not,” Oliver replied and wrapped his arms around her more tightly, “but I will be.”

He stopped swaying more or less in time with the music and just held Felicity. His leaned his head down, leaning it against her shoulder. His nose pressed against the side of her neck, nuzzling her pulse point and breathing her in. Indeed, it relaxed.

Still, Oliver couldn’t prevent thinking about what else he could do to keep his family safe. He wanted to do more, no matter how much he told himself that he couldn’t.

When Oliver eventually loosened himself from the hug, knowing there was no time to get lost in the moment, Felicity was smiling at him with a glint of sadness in her eyes. Oliver captured her lips in a chaste kiss and squeezed her hand.

“I will go back to the table,” she whispered, “and take care of our guests.”

Oliver nodded his head towards the sandpit where the kids were playing together.

“I’ll go join the kids.”

Felicity smiled at him encouragingly. Oliver pecked her lips one last time, squeezing her hand once more, before they parted ways. Going to the sandpit, Oliver listened to Felicity’s voice as she joined Laurel and Donna while they were taking a look at the photos from Laurel and Tommy’s wedding.

He could hear the worry she was hiding behind her light tone. She was trying not to let anyone see how burdened she really was by what was happening. He always did the same thing.

Shaking that thought off, Oliver focused on the kids. Sara was sitting in the sandpit with spread legs, Gabriel between them with his back resting against her chest. JJ and Mae were playing together with a some of Felicity’s old powder brushes, trying to free some mold from the sand that covered them. It was Mae’s way of preserving traces and working on her career as a detective. Since Quentin was back in Starling, she had decided that she wanted to become a cop like her grandfather.

“Hi, Uncle Ollie.”

“Hey, Sweetheart.”

Oliver kissed the top of Sara’s head and sat down on the edge of the sandpit. He lifted Gabriel from between Sara’s legs and pulled him onto his legs.

“Hi, Buddy,” he said, “are you having fun?”

“He’s not very playful today.”

Sara tickled Gabriel’s stomach, but he just released a grumpy whine in response. He really didn’t seem in the right mood to play right now. His nap had been cut short because of their visitors, so Oliver guessed the little boy was growing tired again already.

Oliver kissed his son’s dark hair, soothing him. Gabriel relaxed back against him immediately. It made Oliver smile.

No matter how tense Oliver was, feeling his kids being relaxed, relaxed him. It always amazed him how much power his kids and their wellbeing really had over him. Just like they usually reacted to his and Felicity’s feelings, Oliver and Felicity reacted to the feelings of their kids too.

It was a good thing to remind himself of that because it forced him into relaxing a little bit more. He didn’t want the kids to be affected by what was going on too much. They were affected enough as it was. Gabriel was way too young to understand anything, but he was very sensitive to the atmosphere around him. Mae knew that something was going on because she noticed the increased security as well as her parents’ nervousness, but she didn’t understand the seriousness of what was going on.

Hopefully, it would stay that way.

 

* * *

 

Noticing that she had woken up, Felicity frowned slightly.

These last days, she had woken up at least once each night although Gabriel hadn’t been crying. Still, she had known exactly what had woken her up every single time. Her erratic breathing and rapid heartbeat as well as the thin layer of sweat that had covered her had left no doubt that she had been haunted by terrible nightmares.

Her heart was beating strongly right now, but it wasn’t racing. Her breathing was deep, but it wasn’t too quick. She wasn’t sweating more than she usually did with Oliver’s warm body curled around hers. She doubted that there had been a nightmare haunting her tonight.

“It’s just Gabriel’s lullaby,” Oliver whispered, his voice leaving no doubt that he was still fast asleep. He tightened his arm around her and kissed the back of her head. “It’s all fine.”

It took Felicity another moment before she noticed that Oliver was right. As sleep was falling more and more off from her and she got aware of her surroundings, she noticed the soft music that way playing. The sound made her smile softly as she knew that it was coming from the music box inside the stuffed crocodile that Mae had bought for her baby brother as a gift to his birth.

Just thinking about that sweet moment in the hospital made Felicity smile. It had been incredibly sweet of Mae to use the money she had gotten from the tooth fairy to buy a gift for her baby brother. She was just so caring, and she had loved Gabriel with all of her heart from the first moment on.

With a low sigh, Felicity snuggled back against Oliver. She felt his lips brushing against the back of her head once more. Some single hairs got caught in his stubble, and it made Felicity smile even more. She loved being so close to Oliver even though it messed up her hair. It relaxed her knowing he was right there with her.

Felicity felt like she should shake her head and roll her eyes about herself. With what had happened the first time the stalker had been around and the feeling of an impending attack inside of her, she was constantly on edge.

Or maybe she was just going crazy.

Since their return from Aruba and the stalker’s comeback, Felicity was constantly feeling followed. Her heckles raised whenever she walked through crowds of people or felt even a single pair of eyes on her. She panicked as soon as she thought she was seeing the same stranger twice a day in two different locations.

She knew none of this was healthy, but she couldn’t stop it. As much as she told herself to relax, she felt that relaxation fading the moment she didn’t remind herself of it.

Closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax completely, Felicity continued listening to the soft music that came from the baby phone. It was easy to let it lull her into sleep given how many times she had watched Gabriel falling asleep to the sound of it. She had almost fallen asleep with him at least three dozen times.

Felicity remembered putting Gabriel to bed three nights ago after the garden party with their family and friends. Gabriel had been way past his bedtime which had caused him to be particularly grumpy. The familiar melody of the music box had made him release quickly though. He had lain down in his crib and been close to falling asleep quickly.

Unfortunately, Felicity hadn’t pulled at the cord strong enough, so he music hadn’t been playing for long. Gabriel hadn’t been fully asleep yet, so the stopping of the music had woken him up again. By the time Felicity had been in his nursery, Gabriel had been all the grumpier because he hadn’t been able to-

Without thinking the thought to the end, Felicity’s eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed quickly. Every muscle in her body tensed to a point that she felt a physical ache. She was unable to move, barely able to breathe.

Oliver sat up soon after her, switching on the light and looking at Felicity’s face with worry. He rubbed a hand over her back, and Felicity could feel in the way his fingers moved along her spine that he could feel how tense she was.

“What’s wrong?”

Felicity turned her head to look at Oliver. She was sure that her face was pale and her fear was visible in the expression in her eyes. The look of worry on Oliver’s face only increased.

“Gabriel can’t wind up the music box himself.”

Her voice was trembling slightly as she was saying the words. She knew she should jump up and run into Gabriel’s nursery to check on him. Her fear paralyzed her though, making it impossible to move no matter how loudly the voice inside of her head was screaming at her.

It was Oliver who moved first. Pushing the blanket away, he got out of bed and ran out of the room. It was all Felicity needed to finally be able to move again too. She followed him as quickly as she could despite how much her legs were trembling and threatening to give in right under her.

On the way to Gabriel’s nursery that felt endlessly long right now, Felicity tried to tell herself that maybe this was just another moment where she’d go crazy and just had to roll her eyes about herself afterwards. Maybe Mae had just snuck into her baby brother’s room and wounded up the music box like she did sometimes when she woke up in the middle of the night and was bored.

Deep in her heart, Felicity already knew that those were false hopes, but she couldn’t deny herself those. She’d have to accept the truth rather sooner than later anyway, so she would have to protect her heart from damage for as long as she could.

Stepping into the nursery, Felicity found Oliver at Gabriel’s crib. He was holding the sleeping boy to his chest tightly. He way rocking from side to side slowly like he was trying to soothe Gabriel, but Felicity knew that he was rather soothing himself. His lips were resting against the crown of his head, kissing it gently.

“Is he okay?”

Felicity whispered the words, already crossing the distance to her two men. She rested her hands against Oliver’s elbows and leaned forward. Her cheek rested against Gabriel’s warm back, and she closed her eyes for a moment. It allowed her to listen to her baby’s heartbeat and focus on the feeling of relief as she realized that he was okay. Gabriel was okay.

“He’s fine,” Oliver said, and his words relaxed her even more. “I will go check on Mae.”

Oliver rested Gabriel into Felicity’s arms and kissed the crown of her head. With large steps he left the nursery to make sure Mae was safe too. Felicity sent a prayer to heaven that she was just as unharmed as Gabriel was.

Sucking in a deep breath, Felicity lowered her gaze to her sleeping baby boy in her arms. Gabriel was so peaceful. He hadn’t noticed anything if there had been anything to be noticed in the first place.

Felicity shook her head. This wasn’t nothing. This couldn’t be nothing. The stalker had broken into their home before, so it wasn’t a far fetch to think that he had managed to break in again. Actually, it was quite the opposite. She couldn’t allow herself to believe that the stalker hadn’t been here.

With careful steps, Felicity walked over to the window and looked outside. She couldn’t see much in the darkness, but the garden looked quiet. It didn’t seem like somebody was or had been there. She reached out a hand and checked for the window, but it was closed.

“That doesn’t prove anything.”

She whispered the words to herself, shaking her head. The last time the stalker had been in their home, there hadn’t been any hints that someone had broken in either. That she couldn’t see anything here either didn’t mean anything.

Felicity felt her chest tighten even more. If he had managed to break in again, who knew whether he hadn’t been here again before? Maybe he had walked around the house and they just hadn’t noticed.

“Mae’s asleep.”

Felicity flinched and gasped for breath, turning around quickly. Oliver lifted his hands in a wordless apology, but Felicity just closed her eyes and shook her head. With everything happening, she was just terribly jumpy.

“Are you okay?”

Oliver crossed the distance towards Felicity and wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips brushed against the crown of her head.

“No,” Felicity replied in a whisper. “Or do you think we are going crazy?”

Oliver hesitated visibly for a moment. He didn’t have to reply for Felicity to know that he, just like her, didn’t believe that this was a coincidence or whatever. The stalker had been here. He had been in their home.

“I think we should take the kids to our bed tonight, and we should call John as soon as we wake up tomorrow.”

Felicity nodded her head. She doubted that she would fall back asleep tonight, but she didn’t want to disturb another night for Gabriel and Mae. The longer this was going on, and the more they noticed of it, the more it would affect them. The last she wanted was for the kids to be affected by this though.

Oliver put his hands to her cheeks and angled her head back until their eyes locked. She could see the same turmoil in his eyes that she was feeling inside of her. It made it unable to know what she was feeling. There were too many different emotions rushing through her veins too quickly for her to focus on a single on of them. She was sure it was the same for Oliver.

“I will go and get Mae.”

Felicity nodded her head once more. “I will go and-“

Frowning, Felicity stopped. At the side of Gabriel’s crib rested a simple white envelope. Just seeing it made her heart stop and start racing in her chest. She grabbed it, turning it between her fingers. It already made her heartbeat quicken and her breathing tremble.

“Don’t.”

At Oliver’s whisper, Felicity lifted her gaze to look at him. He shook his head slightly, trying to convince her not to open the envelope. After everything that had happened to them already, maybe this would be too much to go through alone. They should let John and his team handle this.

Felicity knew that she had to open the envelope and check what was inside though. She couldn’t wait for someone to come and read it for her. She wouldn’t have a calm moment until she knew what was inside.

Her hands were trembling when she ripped open the envelope and grabbed the card that was inside. It was a plain card, white with white roses. It would be beautiful if it wasn’t that creepy.

With held breath, Felicity opened the card. She recognized the neat handwriting from the cards she had received half a year ago with the flowers and the lingerie. There was no doubt that the stalker had been back in their home, and this time he had been here while they had all been around. He had gotten impossibly close to Gabriel.

Felicity’s entire body was trembling by now. Tears were welling in her eyes that made it hard to see the words that had been written in the card. Her gaze followed the lines of the small handwriting though. As hard as it was to read the words, she was unable to stop.

As soon as she had reached the last word, Felicity lifted her gaze to Oliver. She was sure that he could see the shock in her eyes, but she was also sure that he could see the determination. She felt both of it deep in her bones, mixing together to an indescribable mess.

“We will leave here,” she said firmly. “I am not going to stay here for another minute.”

Oliver hesitated only briefly. His eyes darted down the card between her fingers briefly. Felicity could see that he wanted to know what it was saying, but he didn’t ask the question. He probably knew that now wasn’t the time as the words written inside had already confused Felicity enough as it was.

“I’ll get Mae,” he said, nodding his head. “We will stay at my mother’s. We can call her from the car. Grab Gabriel’s stuff. We will get anything else we need tomorrow.”

Felicity nodded, watching Oliver turning around on the balls of his feet and walking away. She took in a deep breath, breathing against the tight feeling that formed around her chest. Holding Gabriel to her heart even more tightly, she let the card fall to the floor and walked over to his wardrobe to get the bag they kept there. It held all the important stuff they needed when they were going on a day trip.

As much as she tried to focus on nothing but Gabriel’s slow heartbeat, she wasn’t able to push the words she had just read out of her head. They continued sounding in her head in the happy singsong she had last heard them. It was creepy, sending cold shivers down the length of her spine.

_For unknown still is my name,_

_The Queen will never win the game._

_Tonight, tonight, my plans I make_

_Tomorrow, tomorrow…_


	10. Chapter 10

“This can’t go on like this.”

“Of course it can’t.”

“How did this even happen? We have increased security. Felicity has a bodyguard that is securing her every minute that she spends out of our home. We have someone watching Mae while she’s in school. We have someone watching our home. This shouldn’t be happening.”

“The fact that it did only proves that we have to increase security once more.”

“How? How are we going to increase security even more than we have already? Is someone supposed to hold Felicity’s hand while she’s in the shower and sleep in the kids’ bedroom? This isn’t working. We need other options.”

“That’s not that easy.”

“If we scare the stalker off, he’s going to disappear again.”

“Which would be helpful.”

“Until he comes back.”

“Oliver’s right. Given this latest escalation of him and his actions, there is no doubt that he will come back. If he’s not too deep into his craze yet, he will be frightened off by anything we could do, but he will come back the moment he thinks Felicity is feeling safe again.”

“We can’t live the rest of our lives in fear. The kids can’t. Felicity can’t. I can’t.”

Felicity was listening to the voices speaking, but she could barely follow the conversation. She looked back and forth between her mother, Moira, John and Oliver. She didn’t say a single word though.

It was almost like Felicity was watching all of this through a haze. She wasn’t really part of this situation. She was just a person who was watching it like a movie without any possibility to participate.

After Felicity had read that message the stalker had left for her, she hadn’t been able to stay a minute longer in their house. She had grabbed Gabriel from his crib and had asked Oliver to get Mae. With the kids sleeping in their car seats, they had driven to the mansion where Moira and Raisa were already waiting for them.

While Oliver and Raisa had taken the kids upstairs to the bedrooms Moira had furnished for them, Felicity and Moira had waited for her mother and John to arrive. Her mother-in-law had just held her hand and offered silent comfort, not saying a word and not asking Felicity to say anything either.

Felicity tried to focus back on the conversation around her, but she didn’t hear anything except for whooshing in her ear. It made it impossible to hear anything around her.

As they were sitting here in the kitchen of the Queens’ mansion, Laurel and Tommy were at their home and going through their stuff. Being the good friends that they were, they had offered to pack some stuff for the family, so they would at least get through the next days without having to go back at their home.

At the same time, Quentin was trying to preserve traces of the stalker. They weren’t very hopeful about it, but they tried their best.

When Oliver slammed his fist against the countertop, Felicity flinched so much that it left a terrible ache in her back. She took in a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that she felt welling in her eyes already. She willed them to disappear, swallowing down the lump in her throat.

“-with all the security in front of our home?”

Felicity didn’t miss the anger in Oliver’s voice. While she was mostly feeling scared and out of herself, Oliver was angry. Anger was the first reaction for Oliver to go to a lot of times when he didn’t have control of things.

“We can discuss about that forever,” John said, his voice calm as it usually was. “It won’t lead us anywhere though. Let Quentin take care of that.”

“So all we are going to do is sit here and wait for another attack?” Oliver asks. “Like we did all the times before and-“

“What we are going to do is trying to find out who this stalker is through his actions,” John said. “I have worked with people from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, and one thing I learned from them is that the way criminals, especially criminals like stalkers, do things says a lot about them.”

“So what?”

“ _For unknown still is my name, / The Queen will never win the game. / Tonight, tonight, my plans  / I make / Tomorrow, tomorrow…_ ” John made a pause, lifting his gaze. “This sounds like a play of power.”

Felicity felt a cold shiver running down the length of her spine. It had been horrible reading those words, and it felt even more terrible hearing those words from John. With his calm voice, they felt almost more threatening than when she had read them.

“It actually rings a bell for me,” Donna said. “I am sure I have heard those words before.”

“ _Tonight, tonight, my plans I make / tomorrow, tomorrow the baby I take. / The queen will never win this game / For Rumpelstiltskin is my name._ ”

When Felicity had been a child, Rumpelstiltskin had been one of her favorite bedtime stories. She had loved that fairy tale. It was a little dark with that evil Rumpelstiltskin going to the Queen to ask for her firstborn child. Yet, it still had a happy ending. She just loved everything about it.

Felicity didn’t even realize that she had whispered those words until she noticed that everyone was looking at her. She tried to get even the slightest of a smile on her lips, but she felt unable to do so.

“It’s from the fairy tale.”

“So, he’s after the kids now?” Oliver asked, looking at John. His jaw was tensed, and his hands were formed to tight fists. “Is that what he’s trying to tell us?”

“No,” John replied, shaking his head. “He just wants to scare Felicity.”

“And he succeeded.”

Felicity hadn’t really meant to say those words out loud, but they fell from her lips before she could stop herself. She felt all eyes on her, so she kept her gaze down. She didn’t want to look at their faces right now. She couldn’t.

When someone sat down next to her, Felicity instantly hoped that it was Oliver. Nobody was as good at comforting her and making her feel safe as Oliver was. He knew her better than anyone, and he knew what she needed more than anyone else ever had.

Still, Felicity wasn’t surprised when her mother’s hand reached out for her fingers and squeezed it comfortingly. She knew that Oliver was too much out of his mind to comfort her right now. He wanted to. She could see it in the brief glances he shot at her every other second, but he wasn’t the in the right state of mind. As long as he was as angry and as upset as he was right now, he couldn’t calm her down.

“It’s going to be okay, Honey,” Donna whispered. “Whoever this is, we will find out and make sure he’s never getting close to you or the kids anymore. You have to focus on what’s important and that’s that you and your family are safe right now and…”

Felicity couldn’t listen to her mother any longer. She knew that she just meant well. She wanted to make her feel safe and somewhat okay, but Felicity couldn’t avoid feeling like her mother was completely wrong.

Everything was not okay.

Someone was threatening her children. This someone was trying to get to her by using her children. This someone had broken into her place twice now, and they still didn’t know how he had gotten in there in the first place. Someone was threatening her family in a way that nobody should ever threaten her family, and they didn’t even know who he was.

As her mother continued talking, whispering words that were meant to soothe her, Felicity just felt herself panicking even more. It was like everything inside of her was fighting the calming words her mother was saying, rejecting them with all the power she got.

She felt her heartbeat quicken and her breathing faltering. Her throat was burning, telling her that she was most likely going to start crying soon. She wasn’t ready to let those feelings show right now though. She couldn’t do so yet. She needed a moment.

“I will go upstairs and check on the kids,” Felicity said, and she didn’t miss that her voice was trembling slightly. “I’ll be right back.”

“Do you want me to come with you and-“

“No.”

Felicity might have answered a little bit too quickly and with a little bit too much stress in her voice. Her mother looked at her in surprise, but Felicity didn’t have the energy to feel really sorry. There were too many other thoughts on her mind right now.

“I don’t want them to wake up, so I’d rather go alone.”

Before her mother or anyone else could say anything more, Felicity quickly got up and left the kitchen. She could feel all their gazes on the back of her neck as she walked, but she didn’t let that stop her. She kept walking until the door to the kitchen fell shut behind her.

Standing alone in the dark corridor behind the staircase, Felicity close her eyes and took in a deep breath. She hadn’t had much hope that it would help her, but it still disappointed her a little when she only felt closer to sobbing. A single tear ran down her cheek, and Felicity wiped it away quickly.

Felicity pulled at the sleeves of her pullover until her hands were hidden inside of them completely. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, hugging herself in a desperate attempt not to fall apart. It did make the trembles than ran all through her body a little less intense.

The Queen Mansion was completely dark. A part of Felicity felt weirdly safe in the darkness of the staircase and the corridors. It was probably just about the fact that at least in the darkness nobody could watch her. Besides, behind the thick walls of the castle-like home, she felt like no outward threat could come in here. Maybe hiding in this house forever was her only possibility of finding some peace again.

Felicity shook her head about herself and pushed that thought off her mind. She couldn’t hide in here forever. She’d go crazy, and she’d drive the kids and everyone around her crazy too she guessed.

As quietly as possible, Felicity opened the door to Mae’s room and slipped inside. On the tip of her toes, she walked over to the bed. Mae was lying across the mattress like she usually did, her feet dangling from the edge and her face pushed into the pillow. Felicity had no idea how anyone was able to sleep in that position, but she had given up wondering about that or turning her daughter into what felt like a more comfortable position long ago.

All Felicity did was adjusting the blanket around her daughter and leaning down to brush a kiss against the back of her head. Mae didn’t move, and she didn’t make a sound. She just released a deep sigh and continued sleeping.

Felicity smiled softly, the first honest smile that she had tonight. At least Mae hadn’t been too affected by what had happened. She had woken up when Oliver had carried her to the car and asked what was wrong, but Oliver had managed to tell her that it was all just a game they were playing. Raisa had taken over from there.

Since Felicity didn’t want Mae to wake up and notice that there was actually a lot going on after all, she tiptoed out of the room.

She checked on Gabriel briefly, but he was sleeping just as soundly as his older sister.

Felicity envied the both of them. She wished she could have slept through this night and this nightmare it had turned into the moment she had woken up too.

With heavy heart and tears in her eyes, she strolled over to the room that had been Oliver’s back when he had still been living here. She walked over to the large windows, glancing outside. Alone from here she could see a dozen broad-shouldered guys that worked for John in security. They were patrolling around the mansion as well as the garden and the entire property.

Shutting the curtains, Felicity walked towards the bed. For a brief moment, she considered lying down there under the blanket and curling up there. Despite the curtains being shut, she just didn’t feel safe enough to do so, so she sat down on the floor at the side of the bed that was away from the window. She leaned back against the bedstead and pulled her legs to her chest. She wrapped her arms around them as tightly as possible and rested her forehead against her knees, closing her eyes with a sob.

Felicity had been scared a lot of times in her life. She had never been as scared as she was right now though. She felt like this stalker was an incalculable risk to her and he family. No matter what they had tried so far, they hadn’t gotten any closer to finding out who this guy was. Why would that be different now.

A heavy feeling settled in Felicity’s stomach. She had read about victims of stalkers who were moving across the world every other year because their stalker followed them everywhere. With the aggressiveness of his actions Felicity didn’t doubt that he’d follow her into a completely different universe if she’d go there. Her life would never find any peace before that guy was caught and put behind bars.

And all of this was just scaring in a million different ways.

“Hey.”

Felicity flinched so violently that it caused a stinging pain to rip through her muscles from her neck all the way down to her spine. She lifted her head and turned it to look at the door. It caused her muscles to tense only more.

Despite her will wildly pounding heart, a breath of relief escaped her when she saw Oliver leaning in the frame of the door with his hands pushed deep into the pockets of his pants. He looked at her with calm eyes, but Felicity could see that there was tiredness and pain shining in his eyes. She’d never not notice an expression like that on Oliver’s face.

“Sorry,” Oliver whispered. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

He watched her from where he was standing for a moment longer, and despite the room between them, Felicity could feel their bodies adapting to the presence of the other. A somewhat warm feeling spread on her skin, covering the bad feeling this night had left her with even if it wasn’t pushing it away. Their breathing adapted to each other’s, and Felicity was almost sure their hearts beat in the same rhythm too. It was always that way when they were together.

Eventually, the right corner of Oliver’s lip twitched into a half hearted smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He crossed the distance between them and sat down on the floor next to her. Felicity leaned into his side immediately, resting her head on his shoulder and pressing her body against his side. Oliver made it easy for her, wrapping his arm around her to keep her as close as possible and kissing the crown of her head gently.

For a long moment, they sat like this in silence. They needed that moment to comfort the other and be comforted by them in return. Having each other was the most forceful source of energy they had in life.

Felicity dipped her head down just a little bit more until her head was resting right over Oliver’s heart. She closed her eyes and focused on nothing but the even sound of his strong heartbeat. It was calming her down and making her feel a lot safer than she had in a long time it felt.

“Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Oliver’s voice was lowered to a whisper like he didn’t want to destroy this silence between them. Even a whisper couldn’t betray the fact that their silent moment was over now though.

“I don’t want to be seen.”

Oliver’s arm tightened around her immediately like if he held her closer, she’d be just a little bit safer. Maybe she wasn’t, but it felt a little bit like that nonetheless.

“We are safe here,” Oliver whispered and kissed the crown of her head once more. “Nothing can happen to any of us here.”

“We thought the same about our home.”

The words pained Felicity more than she had thought they would. Just saying out loud that their house, the home they had built together for them and their kids, was not the safe place they had hoped it would be. Felicity wasn’t even sure if it ever could be that place again for her even if the stalker was caught, and she’d manage to upgrade their security-tech once more.

“Our home is forever tainted now.”

Felicity felt Oliver tense slightly. She doubted that the thought hadn’t crossed Oliver’s mind yet, but she guessed that hearing her say those words didn’t sit well with him. She was usually a lot better to distinguish between coincidence and relation, but not this time.

“I am not sure tainted is the right word for this.”

Oliver’s voice was soft as he spoke. He didn’t want to disagree with her just for the sake of it. He wanted to remind her of the billion wonderful moments they had spent there without recalling any of it explicitly. Felicity got that. Still, she felt like they were tainted.

“Our home was broken into,” Felicity reminded him, and the words made a heartbreaking sob fall from her lips. “Someone came into our house and as close to our kids as nobody ever should. We wouldn’t have even noticed that someone had been there if it hadn’t been for Gabriel’s lullaby. He could have hurt him or taken him away from us of kil-“

The word got stuck in her throat. Felicity hadn’t even known that she would say it before it had already been too late. There was no way that word would ever get over her lips as long as she’d live, not as long as she was referring to one of her children.

The thought of something like that happening freaked her out to a point that she felt like she couldn’t breathe anymore. The breath got sucked out of her lungs, and no intake of breath was possible, no matter how much she tried. Felicity’s chest hurt as badly as if it had been set on fire.

It took Felicity a long moment before she realized that she didn’t just feel like she couldn’t breathe. She really couldn’t. She was choking, feeling like she was drowning though she was far away from water.

She was sure that Oliver could see the panic in her eyes as she struggled to breathe. Her fingers clawed around his hand, clutching onto it as tightly as possible like it was her lifebelt. Oliver whispered soothing words to her, trying to make her time her breathing with his, but Felicity had no control over herself anymore.

The panic rushing through her veins had taken control over her.

Eventually, Oliver moved from her side. He kept his hand in hers, not making her let go, but he crawled over to his nightstand and grabbed a paper bag that was in there. He put it over her nose and mouth, making her breathe into it.

Felicity could see his lips moving. He was still whispering soothing words to her. The rushing in her ears made it impossible for her to hear though.

As the tiredness faded bit by bit, exhaustion spread inside every fiber of her body. Her breathing returned to normal. As soon as Oliver lowered the paper bag, Felicity’s head fell forward against his chest. Her body slumped against his side. Felicity wasn’t sure whether the exhaustion just lulled her into sleep or the last waves of the panic rushing through her made her pass out, but eventually Felicity’s eyes closed and she drifted off.

* * *

Oliver brushed his fingertips against Felicity’s pale cheek and kissed her forehead. Taking in a deep breath, he got out of bed and walked to the door then. With his fingers already wrapped around the handle, he looked back over his shoulder once more. He watched Felicity sleeping soundly, curled up under the blanket that rose and fell evenly with her breaths.

Only when he managed to convince himself that Felicity really was asleep and wouldn’t wake up in the next twenty minutes, he left the room. Closing the door behind himself as quietly as possible, he leaned back against it and allowed his eyes to fall shut for a moment. He took some even breaths in a weak try to get a hold on his emotions.

These last hours counted to the worst of his life which meant a lot given his experience of getting lost at sea, watching his father kill himself in front of his eyes and spending a year lost on a hellish island. Knowing how close this stalker had come to their lives and their kids was scaring him more than the anger he tried to cover his fear with allowed anyone to see.

Watching Felicity losing herself in panic to a state where she’d wake up from terrible nightmares every 30 minutes, shaking and screaming, didn’t make it any better. Oliver could live with fear inside of him. He couldn’t live knowing Felicity held a fear like that though.

Oliver rubbed his hands over his tired face. He hadn’t slept since Felicity had woken up from Gabriel’s lullaby. Though only a couple of hours had passed since then, Oliver felt like he hadn’t slept in days.

Slowly, Oliver strolled downstairs. Maybe some coffee would help him to get through these next hours. He needed his head in the game, this terrible game the stalker was playing with them, to catch that son of a bitch that was threatening his home and his family.

When Oliver stepped into the corridor that led towards the kitchen, he already heard the voices of John, Tommy and Quentin. Their voices were lowered, so he didn’t hear what they were saying. The urgency in their whispers told him that they didn’t have any other subject than the situation at hand though.

The moment he opened the door and put the foot over the doorstep, all three men turned around to him. Neither of them spoke. Under their thorough gazes, Oliver walked over to the kitchen island that they were gathered around and sat down on the free stool there.

“Your mother, Donna and Laurel are upstairs,” Quentin said with quiet voice, being the first who found his voice again. “They are making plans to keep the kids busy today and-“

“I don’t want Mae or Gabriel to leave the property today,” Oliver said quickly, “or tomorrow. They are the safest as long as they are here.”

Quentin nodded his head. “We all agreed on that. Still, it’s important they have some fun to distract them from what’s happening around them.”

Oliver nodded his head since he couldn’t agree more. For him and Felicity, the wellbeing of their children had always and would always be the most important thing. Having their family taking care of them was a good thing.

“How’s Felicity?” John asked.

“The doctor gave her something to sleep,” Oliver replied with a sigh. “She’s sleeping now, but-“

He shrugged his shoulders and didn’t end his sentence. He didn’t have to. Everyone knew that the moment Felicity would wake up, she’d be back to being scared and confused. There was no way she couldn’t be with that was happening to them.

“How are you?” Tommy asked eventually. “Are you… okay?”

Oliver chuckled dryly, moving a hand through his hair. He barely resisted the urge to tear his hair out. Having physical pain distracting him from his emotional pain seemed tempting. Oliver knew that it wasn’t healthy though, so he did his best not to do so.

“No,” he simply said. “No, I am not okay.”

His voice was soft. The anger it had carried before was gone almost completely. Instead, he just sounded defeated. He sounded like there was no energy and no hope left in him. Sadly, it wasn’t as far away from the truth as Oliver would like it to be.”

“I am getting you some coffee.”

Tommy clapped his hand on his friend’s back as he slid off the bar stool and walked over to the coffee maker. He poured his friend a mug and put it in front of him before he sat back down. Oliver looked at the steaming liquid. Instead of drinking any of it, Oliver just took the mug and swayed it a little, watching the coffee moving in the porcelain.

Oliver was feeling a lot more need for a cold glass of water. Maybe that would chase away some of the tiredness. He felt too exhausted to walk over to the fridge and grab a bottle though. He didn’t want to ask his friends to get him one either.

“Is there any news?” he asked instead, lifting his gaze to look at Quentin. “Did the police found anything?”

Quentin sighed which was actually all the answer Oliver needed. It made his stomach twist painfully and the feeling of defeat increase even more.

“Just like the last time, there are no signs that someone broke in. Whoever did this also managed to switch off your alarm system without setting the alarm off in the first place.”

“So we know that this has to be someone with really good tech skills,” John concluded. “Felicity is a genius, and she was the one to set up this security system. That limits the possibilities.”

“Without any more concrete evidence, we are still groping in the dark though,” Oliver said. “I mean there is no data base for super hackers that are intelligent enough to hack Felicity.”

“No, but maybe it will help us hinting into a direction we can follow,” Quentin replied. “Maybe it’s someone she knows from college or someone she knows from work. Did she ever mention someone she doesn’t feel safe around? Someone who made her feel uncomfortable in any way, even if it’s just a feeling?”

Oliver frowned. Felicity was leading one of the most successful companies in a male-dominated area. She had had to fight a lot to be accepted as a leading business woman and partner. Over the years, a lot of men had tried to make her feel inferior for being a woman in STEM. Felicity had never felt particularly uncomfortable about those men though. She had just felt spurred on to try even harder and prove everyone who doubted her what she was really capable of.

“Not that I know of,” Oliver replied. His frown deepened, hearing himself say those words. “And I am sure that I would know about this.”

John nodded his head slowly before he puckered his lips. “Someone at college?”

“As we all know, I wasn’t there the entire time that-“ Oliver stopped. “There was a guy, a friend of hers actually, who kissed her. His girlfriend had broken up with him I think, and Felicity and I weren’t at our best. He used a situation and tried to kiss her.”

“Name?”

The slight hope in Quentin’s voice made Oliver’s shoulders tense. Were they actually getting somewhere here?

“Ray Palmer.”

Oliver was sure he wouldn’t ever forget that name. Sometimes, he still thought back to the moment that guy had leaned in and tried to kiss Felicity. Whenever his thoughts slipped back to that moment, he reminded himself of the way Felicity had hit him with her book. She had hit him right in the face, and she had hit forcefully. He had never been prouder.

“I will make a few phone calls,” Quentin said. “You continue thinking.”

Frowning, Oliver looked after Quentin. He waited until he had left the room and closed the door after him before he turned to John with a frown though.

“Why do we have to continue thinking if Palmer might be the guy?”

“We don’t know yet,” John said calmly, “and as long as we don’t know, we continue considering other options. It’s safer.”

Oliver sucked in a deep breath and pushed his shoulders back. That little bit of hope he had heard in Quentin’s voice had already been enough to spark a little hope inside of him too.

“Felicity doesn’t have any enemies,” Oliver said after a moment of pause. “She’s the warmest people in the world. It’s impossible not to love her.”

“This is not about enemies,” John explained. “This can be anyone. Sometimes, it’s enough that someone sees you and mistakes a polite smile for a flirt. From there, it just escalates.”

“She could have met someone like that anywhere,” Tommy said. “Work. Verdant. The supermarket. Everywhere.”

“That doesn’t make it easier.” Oliver groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. “Felicity’s like at a thousand places each day.”

“It makes sense to start at some place familiar,” John suggested. “Most of the times, a stalker is someone you know. Even if you don’t know them well, you do know them.”

“Which only leads back to Palmer and-“

When the door opened and Quentin stepped back inside, Oliver stopped. He straightened up on his stool, his muscles tensing. He held his breath while he was looking at Quentin with alerted eyes and waiting for him to tell him what he knew. The little head shake made Oliver’s hope burst with a pang though.

“It’s not him?”

“No,” Quentin replied, sitting back down. “He’s currently in Paris for his honeymoon with a Ms. Anna Loring. My colleagues currently check on this, but I think it’s true.”

“So, we are back to having nothing at all.”

The thought made Oliver’s stomach twist. He had tried to tell himself not to be too hopeful about his idea with Palmer because he had already feared that something like this would happen. Still, he had been hopeful, and having this little bit of hope destroyed now just made him feel worse.

“Not necessarily.”

Tommy’s words made everyone look at him. He had pulled out his phone and was scrolling through something. When he put his phone to the top of the counter and turned it towards the others, Oliver found that his friend had called up a lot of photos of Felicity. The photos have been posted on the websites of newspapers and magazines.

“I just figured that if we were taking a look at photos that were taken of her during formal events or in public, maybe we could get a hint,” Tommy explained, “and there is only one person who is there with her frequently. Adrian Chase.”

“He was her bodyguard,” Oliver said carefully, but he took Tommy’s phone and scrolled through the photos nonetheless. Indeed, Adrian Chase was there a lot of times. “He was supposed to stay near to her, right?”

When Oliver lifted his gaze, he noticed the short glance John and Quentin exchanged. His heart skipped a beat before it started racing in his chest.

“You think it might be him?”

“I think we should at least consider it,” Quentin said slowly.

“Adrian was hired right before the stalking started the first time. The stalking stopped once he was fired. Just when he’s rehired, it all starts over again,” John remembered. “The timeline would match.”

“Chase’s computer skills?”

“Impressive,” John said. “He does have a good eye for that.”

“So he could have hacked the security system at their house?” Quentin asked.

“Since it’s Felicity’s system, I doubt it,” John replied, “but it is possible.”

Adrian Chase had spent a lot of time with Felicity and with Mae. If he had worked for them longer, he might have been counted as part of the family. Just like Raisa did.

“He would have been able to get a key to the house though, right?” Oliver asked. “I mean he worked for us, so…”

“Yeah, possible.”

Oliver frowned. “He was even there when Felicity received the lingerie, and he picked her up from the store where she had seen it before.”

As little as Oliver could imagine Adrian Chase, the friendly man that had made Felicity feel incredibly comfortable with a bodyguard around her and who had wrapped Mae around his little fingers instantly, was the man who was frightening his family so much, the picture did become clearer in his head. Thinking about it, there were a lot of hints that seemed to point in Adrian’s direction. A lot of pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place.

Oliver looked at Quentin and John thoroughly. The two men exchanged another look, longer this time. Without talking, they seemed to come to an agreement. Both of them nodded briefly.

“I will question Chase and try to get a search warrant for his apartment.”

As soon as Quentin slipped off his stool, Oliver straightened up too. Before he could take a single step towards the door, his father-in-law was already standing in his way though. Oliver could see in his eyes that he had to say something that Oliver didn’t want to hear. Oliver straightened his shoulders and just looked at Quentin.

“You are not coming with me,” Quentin said calmly. “You will stay here, and I will call you when I have any news.”

“Quentin, this man scared me and my family to death. He threatened Felicity and our children.” Oliver’s voice was calm, but anger was seething in his chest. “I will come with you.”

“No, you won’t. End of discussion.”

Oliver stared at Quentin for a while longer. He considered fighting him on this. He knew that Quentin was just as stubborn as Felicity was. There was no point in trying to fight him on this. With a dark grumble, Oliver turned around and walked towards the terrace door. He slammed the door shut behind him and started pacing up and down.

Maybe everything would be over in a couple of hours, but Oliver hated the fact that, again, all he could do was sit here and wait for things to be resolved. He hated feeling so helpless, and he doubted he’d have another calm moment before all of this was over.

His gaze lifted to the window on the upper floor. Behind the curtains, Felicity was still sleeping thanks to the pills the doctor had given her. She certainly wouldn’t have another calm moment either.

 

* * *

 

Felicity tried to listen to Mae’s excited talking, but her voice just sounded like humming of a bee colony. Picking at her food unenthusiastically, Felicity just did her best to pretend listening to Mae’s words. She forced herself to smile warmly whenever Mae looked in her direction, encouraging her to go on.

In her head, Felicity was a thousand miles away though. After Oliver had convinced her to take the pills the doctor had prescribed for her, she had slept through most of the day. Despite the lack of sleep being gone, Felicity still felt as exhausted as if she hadn’t slept in days. The sleep might have allowed her to rest, but being back in a reality that frightened her beyond belief had just sucked all energy out of her immediately.

Felicity glanced at Oliver’s phone. It rested next to him on the tabletop, quiet and unmoving. For hours, they had been waiting for Quentin’s call now. So far, her stepfather hadn’t called though. Felicity didn’t know if this was supposed to make her feel relieved because it meant that Quentin was probably busy, or if she was supposed to feel worried because they still hadn’t been able to nail Adrian Chase down.

The thought that Adrian of all people had been the one stalking her still made Felicity’s stomach twist painfully just thinking about it. He had seemed to nice. She had felt comfortable around him, and Mae had loved him so much. Felicity had really liked him too, and she had felt so sorry when Moira had fired him.

Her gaze drifted back and forth between the kids. Mae was still talking nonstop. Even Moira’s gentle reminders not to forget eating didn’t stop the little girl. Her day with her grannies, Aunt Laurel and Uncle Tommy had just been too excited for her. Felicity was glad that this was her daughter’s reaction since this whole situation could have over challenged her instead.

Gabriel was sitting at the other side of the table. Donna was sitting next to him, feeding him his puree between taking bites of her own dinner. Gabriel didn’t seem particularly happy about the situation, but he wasn’t as cranky as Felicity knew he could be. He was probably just exhausted and ready to fall to sleep right after dinner.

Felicity’s eyes met Oliver’s. She could see in his eyes that he was just as unsettled as she was. All day, he had tried not to let it show too much. Felicity knew that he had just tried to give her room to freak out all the way she needed. Just like Oliver, she had done her best to pull herself together though. She had wanted to protect him from her own fear as much as Oliver had tried to protect her from his.

That was the thing about them. They would always put each other first. They would always do everything they could to protect each other.

Oliver smiled halfheartedly. At least the right corner of his lips twitched into the slightest of a smile. It didn’t reach his eyes, but Felicity appreciated the attempt. She tried the same, but she was sure that it looked rather crappy, so she just lowered her eyes to her plate.

She was glad that she had Oliver at her side. While they didn’t always do the right thing for each other, they always tried their best, and they were always there for each other. Felicity couldn’t imagine standing through something like this with anyone else than Oliver.

The moment the phone rang, Felicity lifted her gaze. She watched Oliver’s face closely as he took a look at the display of his phone. His eyes found hers briefly, and he didn’t have to say a word for Felicity to know that this was the call they had waited for all these hours.

Oliver grabbed his phone, and they both got up at the same time. While Oliver already hurried to the terrace doors, so he could talk to Quentin without the kids listening, Felicity brushed a kiss to the top of Gabriel’s head. She followed Oliver quickly, ignoring Gabriel’s soft cries at being left alone with his sister and grannies. Felicity knew he was just grumpy.

By the time Felicity was outside, Oliver was already talking to Quentin. He had his back turned towards her, looking outside into the garden. His muscles were tense and his fingers were rubbing together in his usual nervous tick.

Felicity closed the door behind her and just waited for Oliver to end the phone call and turn around to her to tell her that all of this was hopefully over forever. She was holding her breath, watching every twitch of Oliver’s muscles. With every second, she felt her nervousness increasing.

“Thank you, Quentin.”

These words which were the only ones he was saying made Felicity swallow down hard. He ended the call, wrapping his fingers around his phone so tightly that Felicity wondered if he wanted to break it. He stayed turned away from her though.

“So?” Felicity asked eventually when she couldn’t take the silence any longer. “What did he say?”

Felicity knew that Oliver needed a moment to get a hold on his emotions, but whatever they were, Felicity wanted to see them. She needed to see them, and she couldn’t wait any longer to know what was going on.

Oliver turned around to her, nodding his head. Still, Felicity needed him to say the words, and Oliver could probably see it in her eyes.

“Adrian Chase was arrested,” Oliver said with a low sigh. “It’s over.”

Felicity thought a sigh was going to fall from her lips, but instead a heartbreaking sob escaped her. Before she knew it, tears were running down her cheeks and her legs started trembling. Before she could break down and let all the desperation of the last days wash over her, Oliver was already there. His strong arms wrapped around her protectively, and he held her to his chest like she was his greatest treasure. Felicity’s fingers clawed into the fabric of his shirt, and she pressed herself to his warm body as close as possible.

“It’ okay,” Oliver whispered, the tremble in his voice leaving no doubt that he wasn’t that far from breaking down as it might seem. “It’s okay. It’s over now.”

She heard the words, and she wanted to believe them, but she couldn’t. Not yet.

“Are we sure?” Still clinging to his shirt, Felicity rested her head back and looked at Oliver. She looked for any doubt in his eyes, anything he wasn’t telling her to spare her the worry. She found nothing but utter belief in his eyes though. Nonetheless she repeated her question. “Are we really sure?”

Oliver nodded his head. “Yes, we are sure. They found the photos the stalker sent to you at his apartment. Quentin didn’t tell me all the details, but he did say that it really looked like Chase is completely obsessed with you.”

Felicity nodded her head. A part of her felt even more scared at his words, but it didn’t keep her from feel relief at the same time. Her lungs finally seemed to really take in the oxygen in the air again. It rushed through her veins, filling her every cell and making her feel just a little freer than she had in a long time.

“He’s arrested?”

Oliver nodded his head. “Yes, he is.”

“It really is over?”

Resting his hands on her cheeks and brushing his thumbs over her cheekbones, Oliver looked at Felicity. There was a calmness in his eyes that she hadn’t seen there in a long time. He lowered his head and captured her lips in a gentle and reassuring kiss that tasted of truth and a future without those worries. Felicity straightened up onto the tip of her toes, savoring more of that promising taste.

A sigh fell from Felicity’s lips when they broke the kiss. She waited a moment before she opened her eyes, finding the same expression in Oliver’s eyes that she had tasted in his kiss.

“It really is over this time.”

Oliver’s voice wasn’t just full of hope. It was full of confidence. He really was sure that this was all over now, and Felicity knew that he wouldn’t promise her anything if he even had the slightest doubts about this. He would never lie to her like that.

“Thank god.”

Her head fell forward until it rested against Oliver’s chest, and she closed her eyes with a deep sigh that revealed how tired and exhausted she really was. Oliver’s arms wrapped around her even more firmly, and he rested his chin on top of her head. The scent and of his skin and the warmth of his body surrounded Felicity, making her feel pleasant and safe.

“It’s all over now,” Oliver whispered, stroking his hand over her back. “It’s all over. We can breathe again.”

 _We can breathe again._ The words echoed in her head, and she realized how right he was. Since the stalker had returned to their lives, Felicity felt like she hadn’t been able to really breathe, scared that every breath could cause everything around her to fall apart. Only know she could really breathe and really live again.

Felicity was sure that it would take a few days, maybe even a few weeks until they would be able to really settle into a normal life again. They had lived in too much of a fear for that feeling to just go away like it had never been there in the first place. With some time and the help of each other, they would certainly shake it off and get back to a life without fear though.

Adrian Chase was locked away. She and Oliver had each other, and they had their kids. Those were the conditions there could be for them to find back into a good and safe life again.

There was a little part of Felicity that felt like all of this was unfinished. Unlike in the big movies, there hadn’t been a fight for life between her and Chase, a moment that had really made her realize that it was over because she herself had succeeded over him. There had been no moment of all or nothing. It had all happened off-screen for her. Just like for the viewer of a movie, Felicity couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of frustrations as things did still feel a little bit unfinished, at least for her.

It would take time until the feeling that it really was over now would hit home for her. A part of her understood it and accepted it already, but another part still couldn’t believe it. She had lived in fear for too long for a couple of words to just wash away all the effects that time had had on her.

Felicity was hopeful that everything would be okay at the end though, or maybe she was even more than hopeful. Just like Oliver, she was confident. Everything would be okay now.


	11. Chapter 11

A soft gust of wind made the leaves of the hedge rustle. A cold shiver ran down the length of Felicity’s spine, and goosebumps spread all over her back. Despite the slight cold that came with the wind, Felicity knew that her reaction had other reasons, reasons that had little to do with the temperature and a lot to do with all the time she had lived in the fear of an unknown person watching her.

Crossing her arms in front of her chest to protect herself from the cold and the slightly unsafe feeling that pooled in the pit of her stomach, Felicity took a look around. In the dark of the garden, she couldn’t see anything suspicious there. Felicity knew it was crazy because she had heard that sound of a rustling hedge a hundred times each day for the last years since she and Oliver had moved in here with Mae, but she couldn’t prevent the feeling of being watched to spread inside of her chest.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Felicity took in a deep breath and reminded herself of what was real. What was real was that Adrian Chase had stalked her. What was real was that he had scared Felicity. What was real was that Adrian Chase was now locked away safely where he couldn’t hurt her or her family. What was real was that Felicity was home safe.

With a lot sigh, Felicity opened her eyes and lifted her gaze to the sky. It was a pleasantly warm and cloudless night. It allowed Felicity to see all the stars that were lightning the sky. It really was beautiful.

While Felicity was continuing to look at the stars, she wondered once more if she was ever going to really find peace again. As much as she tried, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over yet. Finding out that Adrian Chase was responsible for that nightmare she had been living in for so long and having him arrested had happened far out of her reach. It was hard, almost impossible even, to really trust that it was all over as long as she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes and-

“Hey.”

Gasping for breath, Felicity ripped her head around. Even before she saw Oliver in the door, carrying two glasses of wine in his hands, she noticed that she had overreacted. It was just hard to shake off that feeling of fear she had lived in for so long.

“Sorry,” Felicity said quickly and held her hand to her chest, so she could feel her heart beating beneath her palm wildly. “I was in thought.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Oliver smiled softly as he approached her. Thrusting one of the glasses into her hand, he leaned over and brushed a kiss against the crown of her head. His eyes never left hers when he sat down as close to her as possible and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Not to me. Not ever.”

Felicity smiled, knowing that he meant it exactly the way he had said it. With a low sigh, she leaned into his side and pushed her nose against his broad shoulder. She breathed him in for a moment, letting the scent of his skin soothe her.

When Felicity lifted her gaze to Oliver’s face again, she found his eyes already on hers. There was worry glinting in his eyes as he watched her carefully. Felicity smiled, put her hand to his stubbled cheek and brushed his lips against his in a gentle kiss. Oliver caught her bottom lip between his lips, pulling at it slightly like he did so often. The familiarity of the kiss mixed with that fluttering feeling of love in her stomach made her smile against Oliver’s lips happily.

Their lips parted eventually, and they both just looked at each other without saying a word for a long moment. Sometimes, there just weren’t any words needed for them. The expression of utter love in their eyes were all they needed. It said more than any words could say anyway.

Raising his glass, Felicity smiled at Oliver. “To us?”

Felicity smiled. “To us.”

They clinked their glasses and nipped at the wine. Felicity savored the sweet taste on her lips for a moment before she swallowed the liquid and enjoyed the cold running down her throat. It had been months since she had last drunken as glass of wine or any alcohol at all. The pregnancy and breast feeding had stopped her from doing so. As much as she had missed drinking an occasional glass of wine, the wellbeing of her baby had always been more important to her.

Felicity set her glass down on the table and snuggled back into Oliver’s arms. Just when she wanted to start a conversation, talking about something light just to hear his voice, she noticed Oliver’s intense gaze on her. Without saying a word, she raised up her eyebrows, encouraging him to speak without saying a word.

“Is everything alright?” Oliver asked, tightening his arm around her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“I am just a little jumpy.” Felicity shrugged her shoulders, lowering her eyes to her hands in her lap. “I just think it will take a while longer before I’ll be back to my normal self.”

What Adrian Chase had done to them had changed her. Felicity didn’t know if she’d ever be the same person again, someone who didn’t exactly feel comfortable when surrounded by a lot of strangers but someone who could deal with it. She missed leaving the house and not taking a careful look around the moment she put her foot out of the doorstep because she just wasn’t feeling safe outside.

She also missed those times she hadn’t looked for places that were far away from the window, so nobody could see her inside. She missed flinching when the doorbell rang. She missed not lying awake all night and listening to Gabriel’s soft breathing through the baby monitor that told her that her little boy was safe.

Oliver’s fingers pushed beneath her chin and turned her head around slowly. His eyes showed worried when Felicity looked at him. The expression in his eyes was so intense that she wanted to look away, but she held his gaze nonetheless.

“What’s going on in there?” Oliver asked and kissed her forehead. “Talk to me.”

The softness of Oliver’s voice reached right into his heart. He stroked the knuckles of his fingers against his cheek, and Felicity leaned her face into his touch immediately. It was so easy to feel comfortable around him. Even when she wasn’t feeling comfortable, she still did. Oliver just made it so easy.

“I know that we said we will focus on leaving the past in the past now, but I am not sure I can,” Felicity admitted. “I don’t think I can.”

Oliver frowned, continuing to stroke his thumb over her cheek. He was looking at her with patience in his eyes, waiting for her to tell him more before he’d say anything.

“There are two things that are on my mind.” Felicity sighed lowly. “The first is this house. I love this house with all of my heart. We have made so many wonderful memories her, memories that I will forever keep in my heart. After Adrian was arrested, we said it was no problem to move back into our house, but the truth is that it still feels tainted to me. Knowing Adrian Chase was upstairs and standing at Gabriel’s bedside while he was sleeping and we were sleeping just still freaks me out. I cannot forget about it, and that really makes it hard to move past what has happened. Rationally, I know it had nothing to do with this place, but I will forever connect it to our house.”

Oliver nodded his head slowly. Though he didn’t say a word, the compassion in his eyes proved to Felicity that he understood exactly where she was coming from.

“We can fix that easily, Felicity,” Oliver said. “We don’t have to live here. For me, that feeling of our home being tainted disappeared the moment I knew that Adrian Chase was locked away safely. If you don’t feel the same way, I don’t mind leaving this house in the past and find a new home for us. As long as we are all together, I know I will be happy anywhere.”

Felicity nodded slowly before she turned her gaze to look at the house. She remembered the day they had first seen it. The house had been in bad condition. They had needed a lot of fantasy to see what they could possibly make of this, but from the moment they had seen the chances of this house, they had known that they had found the perfect place to live in.

“Maybe I just need time,” Felicity said slowly, “to give this place a new chance. I don’t want to give up on it just yet.”

She didn’t want to let Adrian Chase win. He had managed to chase her out of her house several times before. She wouldn’t let him do it again even from behind prison bars. He didn’t deserve that success.

“And the second thing?”

Felicity’s eyes found Oliver’s again, and she sighed once more. The smile made Oliver smile softly, and he leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose softly.

“You won’t like this.”

Oliver perked up his eyebrows. “How do you know?”

“Because I know you.”

When Oliver just perked up his eyebrows, Felicity hesitated briefly and then she said, “I want to go see Adrian Chase.”

Even before the soft smile on Oliver’s lips disappeared, Felicity knew that Oliver was everything but happy with her words. His arm tensed around her almost like he could physically keep her from going to see Chase. The expression in his face showed almost a little bit of panic.

“Why?” Oliver asked. “Why would you even want to see that guy?”

“Because I need that to get closure on this story, Oliver,” Felicity replied. “You guys found out it was Chase while I was literally sleeping. Then Quentin just arrested him and told us everything is fine. That’s not enough for me. I need more.”

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Felicity. That man is obsessed with you. He still denies being the stalker, claiming that he just wanted to find out who this stalker is after he couldn’t find out the first time,” Oliver said. “Going to see him will just open old wounds.”

“For those wounds to be opened they must have healed in the first place, but they didn’t,” Felicity told him, shaking her head. “Maybe it will help me.”

“I don’t know.”

Felicity leaned her head against Oliver’s shoulder and lowered her eyes. She had known that he wouldn’t support her idea as she had hoped he would. The truth was that she herself was so insecure about this idea that she would have needed Oliver’s support in this to convince her of actually going through with this.

If a part of her doubted that this was a good idea and Oliver doubted this was a good idea too, maybe she really shouldn’t do it.

“There is something else I’d like to do though.”

Oliver kissed the crown of her head. “Shoot.”

Without lifting her head from Oliver’s shoulder, Felicity angled her head back to look at him. She smiled softly, trying to push away the bitter taste on her tongue.

“I want us to find a way to give the kids some more stability again,” Felicity said. “All of this back and forth has just been too much for them.”

During the three days that they had spent at the Queen Mansion, it had seemed like Mae and Gabriel hadn’t been too affected by what had happened. Mae had been a little hyper, and Gabriel had been a little grumpy, but it hadn’t been too bad.

Since they had moved back into their home again, Gabriel was restless most nights and Mae seemed completely confused though. All of this back and forth between being home and being with their grandma and being home again had just been too much for them. They needed some stability and some quality family time.

“What were you thinking about?”

“I’d like to take the weekend to do some fun things with the kids. Maybe we could go to the Aquarium together,” Felicity said. “We haven’t been there in a while, and I think it would be a good idea to go there again. After that, maybe it’s time to really go back to our old structure of the day.”

Oliver nodded. “Sounds great. I have missed the Aquarium too, so I’d like to go back there.”

“Just that you can’t come with us,” Felicity said, tapping her forefinger against his chest several times. “You are going back to cooking this weekend, remember? You have agreed to an appointment in Los Angeles.”

“I will cancel it,” Oliver said immediately, shrugging his shoulders. “You and the kids are my priority. Going back to cooking can wait a little longer, especially since I can just cook for you guys here at home.”

Felicity smiled softly. She knew that Oliver meant it. He would just take the phone and cancel this appointment that he had been excited about for weeks without thinking about it twice. As tempting as the idea was, Felicity knew better.

“You can’t do that,” Felicity told him and rubbed her hand over his heart, “because there is a little boy in Los Angeles who just suffered through a return of his cancer, and he’s excited to have someone who actually got lost at sea coming to his birthday party that is all about pirates. It’s important.”

“It’s inappropriate.”

“Maybe,” Felicity whispered, “but it’s not the boy’s fault, and he should get exactly what he wants. He is suffering through enough.”

Though Oliver didn’t seem happy about it, Felicity could see that she had already won. There was no way Oliver wouldn’t help that little boy to have at least some job.

“I don’t know Felicity.” Oliver scrunched up his nose slightly. As soon as he turned his head to look at her, his facial expression softened though. “I am not sure I can leave you alone yet.”

Felicity nodded her head. She rested a hand on Oliver’s thigh and stroked it up and down slowly.

“I know exactly what you mean,” she whispered eventually, nodding her head. “I don’t like the thought of being alone either. I feel safe when you are here with me, but I also think it’s important for both of us to spend some time apart before we obsess about this completely and get lost in that fear. We can’t cling onto each other to a point that we can’t be apart anymore. As much as I’d love to have you here with me all the time, I know we need it for both our peace and both our freedom to just be able to spend some time apart.”

Oliver visibly struggled with her words. Felicity could see in his eyes that he wanted to find reasons not to go, but he knew that her reasoning was too good. There was no good way to fight it. Taking in a deep breath that gave away how hard this really was on him, Oliver nodded his head.

“Okay,” he whispered, continuing to nodding his head slowly and tightening his arm around her. “Just promise me one thing.”

Felicity didn’t need Oliver to say the words out loud for her to know what he needed from her. She rested her hand over his heart, emphasizing the words she said next.

“I promise you that I will not go to see Adrian Chase.”

“Thank you.” Oliver kissed her temple before he locked eyes with her again. “I promise you that, if I am back and you still want to do this, I will support you wholeheartedly. I just… I just want to be around in case anything happens.”

Felicity smiled softly, nodding her head. She couldn’t deny that she was a little bit surprised that Oliver was going to support her in this. During their entire marriage, he had never been anything but supportive. Still, this was a big step for him. Felicity didn’t doubt that.

“I kind of wish we were still teenagers.”

At Oliver’s words, Felicity perked up her eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yes. Really.” Oliver chuckled, brushing his lips against her temple. “You know, after Mae has been born, we have been inseparable because he wanted to balance the time we have spent apart before her birth. I’d love if we weren’t adult enough to see that it is better for us to spend some time apart because it would mean that I could stay here with you.”

Smiling, Felicity framed Oliver’s face with her hands. Her fingers stroked through his stubble gently because she knew exactly that Oliver loved that feeling. He released the lowest of a purr, almost like a kitten. The sound that showed how utterly comfortable Oliver felt made Felicity smile even more.

“I think we should go on a little getaway soon,” Felicity said eventually. “I know we have basically just come back from our vacation, but all the rest we got there was destroyed the moment we came back here. I think we need another getaway. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, you know, maybe just a little drive down the Pacific Coast Road and a stay in a little hotel somewhere at the beach.”

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. “That sounds absolutely perfect.”

Felicity smiled. She and Oliver usually shared the same opinion on things. It was one of the many reasons why their marriage worked so well. For all the situations that they disagreed on something, the intense love they felt for each other was all they needed.

For a long moment, neither of them talked. They enjoyed the silence that was between them. It was a comfortable kind of silence that needed no words. A part of Felicity actually felt like she could just close her eyes and fall asleep. As relaxed as she was right now, especially in Oliver’s strong arms, she felt like she really could just give into the urge of falling asleep without fearing any nightmare to haunt her.

“Have you thought about the future of the restaurant yet?” Felicity asked, not wanting to end her time with Oliver just yet. “You wanted to open it already, but with the stalker’s return, there was no time. Did you make a new plan yet?”

“Not yet,” Oliver said with a sigh. “I will think about it during my flight to Los Angeles, I guess. I will open the restaurant as soon as I can manage everything. Four weeks should be a reasonable frame of time for this.”

Felicity nodded her head. “Four week sounds good.”

“It also allows us to have some more time for us and for our kids before everything goes back to a new routine.”

Again, Felicity nodded her head and a low sigh fell from her lips. She had been so spoilt with having Oliver home all day that she couldn’t imagine what it would be like if he went back to working at his restaurant again. Raising Mae while they had both been working had already made it difficult to find time just for themselves. Working while they were raising two kids would only make it harder.

Smiling, Felicity lifted her gaze to Oliver’s face. He was looking back at her, a content smile on his lips. Felicity felt her stomach flutter in response at the sight. The way Oliver smiled at her was a special smile that he always saved for her. She had never seen him look at anyone else with that kind of smile.

Felicity bit down on her bottom lip, just looking at Oliver. She couldn’t help but feel utterly in love with her husband. Whenever she looked at him, she felt like she was falling in love with him all over again. She hoped that would never change.

Suddenly, Felicity felt all her tiredness being washed away. The butterflies that were fluttering around her stomach made a tingle spread from the pit of her stomach all through her body. It pooled between her legs in particular, and Felicity was sure that it showed in her eyes.

“Oliver?”

“Hm?”

“How tired are you?”

She had tried to keep her question casual, but Felicity could see in Oliver’s eyes that he knew what this question was leading to. His hand moved from her shoulder over her ribs down to her hip.

“Not that tired.”

“Good,” Felicity said with a smile and crawled into Oliver’s lap, “because neither am I.”

She didn’t say anything more since no more words were needed. She just angled her head to capture Oliver’s lips in a kiss, but they were already there, meeting hers. They opened their lips to the touch of each other and their tongues danced together in a slow and familiar dance.

Felicity sighed at the wonderful feeling, leaning even closer to Oliver. Her hand stroked into Oliver’s short hair. Her fingernails scratched over his scalp. Oliver growled in response, and it made a vibration run through his body that echoed through her chest too.

Just when Felicity wanted to lean back to tell Oliver that he should carry her upstairs and into bed, Oliver already pushed his hands behind her knees. He slid to the edge of the couch before he got up, Felicity safely held in his arms.

Their lips never parted as they made their way upstairs to bed, making sweet love to celebrate their love for each other, their shared life and the new chapter in that life, a chapter they’d once again live through together.

 

* * *

 

Oliver’s thumb hovered over Felicity’s name on the display of his phone.

For the umpteenth time since he had left the house to head to the airport, Oliver considered calling Felicity. Leaving her and the kids at home, though he knew that it was the right thing to do as Felicity had explained two nights ago, just didn’t make him comfortable. He didn’t want to be so far away where he couldn’t be with them in case anything happened.

With a deep sigh that turned into a grumpy grunt, Oliver pushed his phone back into the pocket of his jeans. He propped up his elbows onto his knees and rested his face in his hands for a moment. Closing his eyes, he took some deep breaths.

He knew that this nightmare was actually over now. Adrian Chase was locked away safely where he couldn’t get to Felicity or the kids again. That feeling that everything was going to be alright just had to settle in his and Felicity’s minds and hearts now.

So far, although they were trying to go back to a normal life, they weren’t really ready for it. Felicity was still jumpy, and she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Oliver was still so very protective over Felicity and the kids that he couldn’t stand the thought of not being around her 24/7 in case she needed him.

Even now that Felicity had convinced him that he had to go to Los Angeles and they had to spend some time apart, Oliver couldn’t get himself to go into the security zone just yet. He wanted to have the possibility to just get into his car in case Felicity needed him or in case he couldn’t leave the city after all. He needed to keep his options opened. Just in case.

Again, Oliver sighed. He knew Felicity was right. The longer they were clinging to each other, the harder it would get to go back to their normal life again. Felicity needed to find her independency again, and Oliver needed to shake the feeling that Felicity was safe even if he wasn’t right around her again. It was important to them as individuals, and it was important for their marriage too. They needed that.

Frowning slightly, Oliver grabbed his phone from the pocket of his jeans once more. He opened the folder of photos he had taken with it and scrolled through them. Most of the photos were of Felicity or the kids or all of them together. He focused on their smiles and the happiness that he could see in all of their faces.

Slowly, the feeling seemed to settle into his chest and spread all the way through his body. He was sure that, rather sooner than later, his family would find back to that happiness. They just needed to get used to the knowledge that they were actually safe now. They were no longer the victims of a crazy stalker. They could move past that once and for all.

Straightening his shoulders and taking in a deep breath, Oliver got to his feet. Just when he leaned down to pick up his bag, his phone started ringing. He grabbed his phone and despite his best intentions Oliver sent a brief prayer to heaven that, hopefully, his cooking services wouldn’t be needed.

When he looked at the display of his phone and saw that the caller ID was suppressed, his fingers tightened around his phone slightly. He couldn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat or racing in his chest though. They had gathered a little too much bad experience with calls like these lately.

Oliver shook his head, reminding himself that he wanted things to get better now. He knew the first step for that was to not think back to all the things Adrian Chase had done to them whenever something unusual happened. They had to cross Adrian Chase from their memory and forget about him as much as possible.

“Oliver Queen.”

“We don’t have much time.”

It took Oliver half a second before he realized who was calling him. His hand tightened around the phone so much that his knuckles probably turned white. He felt his muscles tensing and all the anger he had tried to get over in the past few days return with a force that almost knocked him off his feet.

With Adrian Chase’s arrest, he had thought that it would all be over. Even from jail, it seemed like Chase found ways to keep tormenting his family though.

“How did you even get your fingers on a phone?”

Oliver knew that the question was stupid as it didn’t matter at all. Still, he wasn’t able to bite it back. Given all the other things he could have said, he guessed that one had been the easiest to fall from his lips.

“I got the phone from someone else here in remand. Look, we won’t have much time to talk, but-“

“Yeah, we won’t have much time to talk because I am hanging up now, and I am going to make sure that you will never get your hands on a phone again as long as you are in there. Have a great time behind bars. Bye.”

“No, don’t hang up!” Adrian said quickly. “Please don’t hang up.”

Oliver’s hand tightened around the phone once more. Everything inside of him told him that he should just hang up and contact Quentin to make sure that Adrian wasn’t going to get a chance of calling him or Felicity again. Still, he found himself unable to move.

Maybe for the first time, he really understood why Felicity wanted to visit Adrian Chase. He hadn’t really understood it when she had told him about it, and he hadn’t really understood it even after he had told her that he’d support her decision. Right now, he realized what she had meant when she had said that things felt unfinished though. There were so many thoughts on Oliver’s mind, so many things he wanted to tell Adrian Chase that he suddenly got the same feelings. Things just hadn’t been finished yet.

“You can be lucky that Quentin arrested you before I got my hand on you because I swear to God that, if I had gotten a chance, I would have killed you and-“

“Oliver, you can tell me all of that some other time, but right now, all you have to do is listen,” Adrian told him with urgent voice.

Oliver’s jaws clenched. He couldn’t believe that this man really demanded something of him. After everything he had done to them, everything he had taken from them, he actually demanded Oliver to just listen?

“One of the inmates here told me about someone that he knows from his last prison time,” Adrian said before Oliver could find his voice again. “That guy talked about a beautiful blonde he loved all the time. He said she loved him too, but that she got married to someone else for the wrong reasons and it’s clouding her judgement. He talked about her nonstop to a point that everyone around him was annoyed.”

If Oliver would be able to move in this moment, he would end the phone call. He was sure that Chase was just trying to come up with another story and another lie to turn things around and distract from him. Oliver wouldn’t believe a word he’d say.

“One of the other inmates eventually told him to just shut up, and the guy almost beat him to death that day. He freaked out, telling him not to get in the way or he’d end up just like everyone else who would try to get in their way. That poor idiot that got beaten up was so frightened that he didn’t tell the guards who beat him up. Everyone knew, but nobody knew about it officially,” Adrian told him. “So the guy was release a couple of weeks ago. In the days before his release, he always repeated that he’d find that woman again and win her back, no matter what. He-“

“I have no idea what you are trying to tell me,” Oliver interrupted Chase eventually as he had finally found his voice again, “but it doesn’t matter. Nothing you can say will change what you have done to Felicity and to me. If you honestly believe that I am going to believe someone else is stalking Felicity just you come up with the story of some stranger who’s obsessing over a blonde, you are even crazier than I thought you were. Go to hell, Chase.”

“It was Cooper.”

Oliver had already taken his phone away from his ear, but at Chase’s last words, he stopped and frowned. He looked at the phone in his hand for a second before he put it back against his ear.

“What?”

“Cooper Sheldon was that guy.”

It took Oliver a moment before he realized why the name Cooper Sheldon rang a bell for him. Cooper Sheldon had been Felicity’s boyfriend in high school back in Las Vegas. She had broken up with him once her mother had made the decision to move to Starling to be closer to her boyfriend. They had barely seen each other again since then.

“Just because you read about Cooper-“

“Yes, I read about him,” Chase admitted, “but that doesn’t change that I know about this story from inside here. Cooper Sheldon is the guy who is stalking Felicity.”

Oliver didn’t know much about Cooper. Felicity had never told him much about him because he knew she had never felt like there had been a reason for that. She and Cooper had parted as friends or at least they had parted without any angry feelings between them. They had just known that, despite how similar to each other they had been, their relationship couldn’t stand being miles apart. It hadn’t been strong enough.

“I know you don’t believe a single word I am saying, but that doesn’t matter. Wherever you are right now, you have to go and check on Felicity. Her stalker is still out there. She needs protection.”

His last words echoed through Felicity’s head again and again. It never stopped. It continued echoing there again and again and again.

_Her stalker is still out there. She needs protection. Her stalker is still out there. She needs protection. Her stalker is still out there. She needs protection._

Oliver took in a deep breath and tightened his hold on the phone once more. He wouldn’t be surprised if it broke between his fingers.

“You are right,” he said eventually, his voice low. “I don’t believe a word you are saying.”

With that, Oliver hung up. He switched on the flight mode and pushed his phone into the pocket of his pants. Adrian Chase had had enough control over his life and the life of their families. That was over now.

 

* * *

 

Felicity smiled widely at the happiness in her son’s eyes. He was squealing and wiggling his arms with excitement. As soon as Felicity bent her arms a little, he stopped though. It was almost like he was holding his breath, waiting for the game to go on.

“First floor,” Felicity said with playful voice.

She couldn’t remember how many times she had played with game with Mae when she had been a baby. She had loved that game. Only having Oliver throwing her up in their air had made her happier. Unlike Felicity, who had always felt like she was about to have an heart attack when Oliver had played with Mae like that, their little baby girl had enjoyed the adrenaline kick.

Could babies even experience adrenaline kicks just from excitement?

“Ground floor,” Felicity said and bent her arms a little bit more. “Pling!”

Just when she said that, the tip of Gabriel’s nose bumped against hers. He squealed with excitement and kicked his legs until Felicity couldn’t hold him up any longer and had to lie him down on top of her chest. The little boy rubbed his face against her cleavage for a moment before he propped his upper body up on his tiny hands and robbed forward on her chest enough to lean his face over hers.

Gabriel looked at her with his big blue eyes full of amazement. Felicity knew she’d feel a lot more charmed by the expression in his eyes if he wasn’t looking like that at basically everything he was seeing recently. Gabriel had discovered his nosiness. He loved exploring the world around him. He loved looking at everything and touching it. He loved exploring everything around him with all of his senses.

“You know, your sister loved this game a lot too,” Felicity told her and rubbed her hand over his warm back. “She was always squealing and giggling. It was the most beautiful sound in the world.”

When Gabriel squealed, Felicity chuckled and lifted Gabriel over her face. She kissed his cheek before she lowered him back onto her chest.

“It’s a pity Mae isn’t here, you know?” Felicity asked. “She will miss out on all the fun we are going to have today, while she will be bored spending time with her friends. It’s going to be so much more fun here, right?”

Gabriel squealed, making Felicity chuckle. Her little boy was a lot happier than he had been these last days with all of the stress of moving into the Queen Mansion and back into their house. She was sure that her own calmness that had returned by now was helping her baby boy to relax too.

When Gabriel squealed once more, Felicity tightened her arms around him and rolled from side to side slightly. Her lips came to rest against the top of her son’s head. Closing her eyes for a moment, she breathed in the amazingly sweet scent of him.

“Okay, mommy will go to the kitchen and get herself a glass of water now,” Felicity said, “and I am going to get you your tea, Mister.”

Gabriel grumbled, pushing his face against her cleavage. It made Felicity chuckle because of the sound as much as because of the tickling feeling of his nose pushing against her skin.

“I know you are a lazy drinker,” Felicity said, “you always have been. If you want to grow big and strong, you have though. It’s important, so you get as big and as strong as daddy. All the girls and all the boys will be into you.”

Gabriel lifted his head from Felicity’s chest and looked at her almost like he wanted her to tell him that she really meant it. Felicity winked at him, and Gabriel smiled in response.

Sitting up, Felicity lifted Gabriel against her chest. His head rested against her shoulder and his little hands wrapped around her arms as much as possible. It was almost like he could feel that Felicity wanted to put him down and he was trying to struggle against it.

“I know, I know,” Felicity said when Gabriel released a grumpy cry the moment that she lay him down in the playpen, “but mommy’s going to come back in a second.”

While Felicity was walking towards the kitchen, she shot a look back over her shoulder. Gabriel had rolled onto his stomach and rolledaround until he had been able to look after her. His eyes were filled with angry tears, and he released another angry cry.

“Yeah, mommy’s coming back in a second.”

Continuing to talk to Gabriel from the kitchen, Felicity poured herself a glass of water and filled Gabriel’s bottle with the tea that had cooled down. Gabriel’s cries calmed down until they stopped completely, making Felicity smile.

Gabriel didn’t like to be left alone in the playpen. He was always scared that he could miss something, so he’d rather be rolling around in the house. Unfortunately, sometimes he just noticed something that sparked his interest and he rolled away with a speed that was more than surprising for such a small baby. There had been at least a handful of times that she or Oliver had left Gabriel alone for a brief moment and they had needed to search him for at least ten minutes because he had hidden somewhere.

She took some gulps of the water, shooting a look at her watch. Oliver’s flight had started ten minutes ago. He must be on his way to Los Angeles now. Felicity had wanted it that way. She might have even pushed Oliver to do so. Still, knowing that he was really out of city now made her stomach drop a little.

Felicity shook her head quickly. She knew it was best for all of them if she and Oliver found the trust in the world around them again. As long as they’d be scared, it would affect their kids.

Taking in a deep breath, Felicity set her glass down and took Gabriel’s bottle instead. With a soft smile on her lips, she went back into the living room.

“See, Honey? It wasn’t that bad after all and-“

The moment Felicity turned around the corner to where Gabriel’s playpen was placed, she stopped. Gabriel wasn’t lying in his crib anymore. Instead, he was smiling at her from behind the shoulder of a tall man who was standing at the open terrace door, his back turned towards her.

Her fingers started trembling, causing the bottle to slip from Felicity’s fingers and fall down onto the floor. The sound made the man turn around to her, looking at her with a familiar smile. He looked from Felicity to Gabriel, who was staring at the stranger with wide eyes like he knew something was wrong, and back to Felicity again.

Felicity felt her heart skip beating before it started racing in her chest. Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach and spread all the way through her body. Every muscle in her body tensed as the adrenaline rushed through her veins with force.

“Cooper.”

Cooper’s lips spread to an even wider smile. “Happy to see me again, Baby?”


	12. Chapter 12

With racing heart and held breath, Felicity watched Cooper bobbing Gabriel up and down on his hip playfully. He was tapping the tip of his forefinger against the little boy’s nose.

“Come on, Sport, at least give me a smile.”

Gabriel released a low sound, a mixture of a cry and a giggle. He looked at the stranger with his big blue eyes for a moment before he turned his head towards Felicity. He looked insecure like he was waiting for her reaction to tell him if he could trust the stranger or if he should start crying.

Although it went against everything Felicity was feeling, she forced herself to smile. She was already in panic as it was. If Gabriel started crying too, she wasn’t sure she’d manage to keep a clear head, but it was certainly the best she could do.

She needed a clear head, so she could figure out what to do.

Felicity took some deep breaths, trying to push past her panic and past her anger. She wanted to scream at Cooper to give Gabriel back to her and never dare to touch her child again.

All those words John and Quentin had said to her about her stalker and everything she had read about stalkers in general echoed in her head though. Her stalker her escalated quickly, and stalkers were often unpredictable. They didn’t take well to rejection and a lot of them tended to be very aggressive when the target of their obsession forced them to see past their craziness.

“What are you doing here, Cooper?”

Felicity could clearly hear the tremble in her voice, but she guessed that a little tremble was still better than screaming at him from the top of her lungs. She even managed to shoot him the slightest of a smile though she doubted that it reached her eyes. It rather lowered to her stomach and made her insides twist painfully there.

Cooper turned his head towards Felicity. There was a wide smile plastered on his lips that sent a cold shiver down the length of Felicity’s spine. There was something really creepy about his smile. It took a lot from Felicity to not start trembling everywhere.

Just when Cooper was about to answer, Gabriel released a low cry. Tears were willing in his eyes, and he was reaching out his arms for his mommy. Felicity didn’t want anything more than to cross the distance and wrap her little man up into her arms where she knew he was safe. Cooper was already rubbing his hand over Gabriel’s back soothingly though.

“Don’t cry, Little Man,” he told Gabriel with weirdly soft voice that didn’t sound like him at all. “It’s okay.”

Gabriel didn’t seem convinced. He was looking at Cooper briefly before he looked back at Felicity. His insecurity about the situation was written all over his face. When Felicity put on a smile, as little as it reached her eyes, it did seem to soothe Gabriel at least a little though.

“You know, I was so surprised when I heard that you were having a baby.”

Felicity held her breath, looking at Cooper. She was searching for any threat in his voice, but there had been none. It was almost like he didn’t want to reproach her. He was just trying to have a conversation with her. With Gabriel in his arms, Felicity still felt like his words did hold a little bit of a threat though.

Feverishly, Felicity tried to think about what she should answer to Cooper. She wasn’t sure which pregnancy he was referring to. Did he mean the pregnancy with Mae or the pregnancy with Gabriel? Even if she knew, she’d feel clueless about what to answer. She had no idea what exact craze Cooper was caught in. She didn’t want to risk saying something wrong that caused him to hurt Gabriel.

“How long had you been in Starling?” Cooper added, clarifying that he meant the first pregnancy with Mae. “A little more than a year?”

He released a low chuckle, shaking his head. There was a little bit of anger hidden in his eyes, but it didn’t take over the entire expression on his face. It was just a spark that was there. If Felicity hadn’t known Cooper as well as she had years back, she probably wouldn’t have noticed at all.

“I-“

“We have known each other forever, Felicity,” he continued, not letting her say anything. “We have been together for so long.”

They had indeed known each other for a long time as they had gone to the same aid program for kids with advanced computer abilities. They had gone to the same school, and they had even been in some classes together in high school.

Felicity wouldn’t say that they had been together for very long though. They had been friends until they had become a couple. They had both been young and they had mistaken their interest in the same things for something more. At least for Felicity it felt like that now that she was looking back and realizing that she had never felt really safe with Cooper. They had never had a level of intimacy that even came anywhere close to what she had had with Oliver from the very start of meeting him.

“We never went that far.”

Cooper whispered the words, looking at her intently. Felicity just pursed her lips, not replying yet. She couldn’t tell him that the reason she had never had sex with him was simply that she had never felt really comfortable around him. It hadn’t been because of Cooper himself, at least not solely. Felicity just hadn’t felt comfortable with herself yet, and maybe their chemistry just hadn’t worked outside a computer lab.

“I- I never planned this,” Felicity whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “It just happened, and it had nothing to do with us. I mean-“

“Oh, I know.”

Felicity had trouble not to flinch as Cooper took a large step towards her. He was standing so close to her that Felicity could almost smell the scent of his skin. The thought creeped her out as only Oliver was allowed to stand so close to her.

When Cooper lifted his hand, Felicity felt her muscles tensing. She didn’t know if she thought that Cooper was going to hit her or if maybe just the thought of being touched by him freaked her out. She forced herself to stand still instead of backing away when Cooper rested his hand against her cheek and stroked his fingertips over her skin.

For a long moment, he just watched her. His eyes were filled with a somewhat warm and amazed expression, almost like he honestly loved her. His thumb stroked over her bottom lip just as his eyes lowered to them.

Felicity could barely hold her gaze, but she didn’t dare to look away either. She had no idea what she was doing right now. She was just following her instinct and her instinct told her to play along until she’d made a plan that would save at least Gabriel.

“I know it wasn’t your fault,” Cooper repeated, his voice now cold and his eyes angry. “It was your mother’s fault. That selfish bitch never liked me. No matter how hard I tried, I was never good enough for you. She just moved away, taking you with her, and ruining all chances we had at happiness. She forced that Richie Rich guy on you and just-“

Cooper stopped, sucking in a deep breath. He was so angry that his entire body was trembling. He clenched his free hand to a fist and unclenched it a couple of times, timing the movement with his breathing. Felicity wondered whether he had maybe learned that from a professional. Maybe Cooper had been to therapy.

“I- I can see that you are angry,” Felicity said carefully. “Maybe it’s better you leave now, and we talk about this some other time when you are calmer and we are alone.”

There was a glint in Cooper’s eyes that told her that her words were only making him angrier. She regretted departing from the way of playing along to his craze. Something told her that he wouldn’t take another rejection with the same calmness.

“Don’t worry, Babe,” Cooper said. “I am not leaving. This is our chance at happiness. Together.”

Felicity swallowed down the lump in her throat. Still, she wasn’t able to say a single word. Her nervousness and fear made it impossible. One wrong movement or wrong one word could cause Cooper to snap.

Glancing at Gabriel, Felicity felt her heart starting to race. She needed to find a way to get her son out of this danger. His safety was her priority right now.

Gabriel, despite his young age, could probably feel her fear. He was releasing another cry, louder now, and again his arms reached out for Felicity to take him. As soon as Felicity reached out her arms for him, Cooper turned his hip away to get Gabriel out of her reach though.

“I can do that,” he said. “Don’t worry.”

Felicity had to bite down on her tongue hard. As scared as she was about all of this, she couldn’t prevent the hot anger to boil in the pit of her stomach. The longer Cooper was holding Gabriel, pretending like he was close to her baby boy, the angrier she got.

Gabriel’s cries calmed down eventually though Felicity could see that he was just saving some energy to really cry soon. In a couple of minutes, he’d be crying from the top of his lungs. Felicity feared the moment that would happen and she feared Cooper’s reaction if he didn’t manage to calm the crying baby down.

“You know, if you had just told me that you had wanted a baby, I would have made it work for us somehow.” Cooper said.

Felicity’s stomach twisted at the bare thought.

Having a baby with Oliver while they had been still been in high school had been incredibly hard. Neither of them had known who they really were and where they wanted their lives to go. They had been insecure about themselves and their relationship. Having Mae had been the kind of fire test they would have never needed.

Sometimes, it still felt like a miracle that they had made it through all of the troubles and had come out of them only stronger. They had both grown – as individuals as much as they had grown as a couple.

Felicity doubted, no, she knew that this would have never happened the same way if it had had anyone else than Oliver at her side. They had complemented each other through all the years, and they still did now.

“Look, nothing against your kids,” Cooper said. “Madeleine looks exactly like you did when you were younger, and Gabriel does look a lot like me to be honest.”

Felicity was biting down on her tongue so hard that she could taste blood in her mouth. She couldn’t bare the thought that her son was even just the tiniest bit similar to Cooper.

“The two of them would just be so much smarter if they had more of my DNA, you know?” Cooper asked. “Your husband is just not the smartest.”

He almost spit out the word like it was some dirt in his mouth. The pure idea that she had a husband that wasn’t him seemed to insult him.

Felicity pushed that thought as well as her anger away without forgetting about it. She was sure that anger was a lot better motivator than fear was. Fear only paralyzed her, stopping her from doing anything because, if she didn’t do anything, at least she couldn’t do anything wrong.

Not replying to Cooper, Felicity glanced past him at the large clock. It was two p.m., so it would take another hour until Tommy would pick Mae up from the birthday party she was at right now. Felicity didn’t want Mae to be around, but maybe she’d find a way to signal Tommy that something was wrong. All she’d have to do was playing for time.

For a brief moment, Felicity wondered if there were any other options. Since she was almost sure that she couldn’t attack him, she figured it might be her only chance.

Felicity took in a deep breath, warming toward her plan. She couldn’t say that she really succeeded, but she did understand that it was her only option. Well, maybe not the only but the safest option. As long as Cooper was still holding Gabriel, she could only play safe anyway.

“I think Gabriel could need a new diaper,” Felicity suddenly heard herself say. “He will calm down then, so maybe we can… talk.”

Waiting for Cooper’s reaction, Felicity held her breath. She felt like her heart was beating so loudly that even Cooper could hear it. It was beating against her ribs with so much force that it almost felt like it wanted to break them. It would probably run away screaming as soon as it could.

When Cooper smiled, Felicity did her best to get an honest smile on her lips too. She doubted that it worked, but Cooper didn’t seem suspicious. It was quite the opposite actually as Cooper looked relieved and even happy about her suggestion.

Kissing Gabriel’s cheek, Cooper held the baby boy out for Felicity. She didn’t wait for even a split second. She just stepped forward and took Gabriel from him. Their hands touched, but Felicity couldn’t bring herself to care. The relief over holding her baby boy back in her own arms just rushed through her veins and pushed ever other feeling aside.

The moment Gabriel was back in her arms, Felicity pushed her right hip that Gabriel was sitting on further away from Cooper. She put her hand to the back of Gabriel’s head and kissed his forehead. Her hand stayed at the side of his head, cradling it to her shoulder and protecting it from Cooper.

Her instinct to protect her child seemed to only grow now that he was back with her, and she could feel his heart beating firmly in his small body. If it was up to her, Cooper wouldn’t be even looking at Gabriel for just a second longer.

When Cooper nodded towards the stairs, Felicity nodded her head in agreement. She followed him up the stairs and towards Gabriel’s nursery. He went there with a certainty that made Felicity wonder how much time he had really spent here. It definitely looked like he had gotten to know the house really closely.

The thought made the silence that had spread even more threatening. Felicity didn’t want to talk, but the silence left a shrill sound in her ear. It was deafening.

“How do you like the house?”

Lying Gabriel down on the changing table, Felicity shot Cooper a brief look back over her shoulder. He was sitting in the rocking chair, watching her with sharp eyes. She didn’t dare to look at him for too long, afraid that he could see how scared she really was or how much she wanted to escape this situation.

“Not my style.”

It was all Cooper said. From the small mirror at the wall, Felicity could see him continuing to watch her though. He never took his eyes off her, giving her no possibility to even just taking a look out of the window to check if there was anyone who could possibly help her.

“I have been watching you for a while now, you know?”

Cooper’s question made Felicity’s stomach sink. She bit down on her bottom lip, swallowing whatever words were possibly rising in her throat. She had known that her stalker had watched her for a while. There had been too many hints to forget about hat. Yet, hearing Cooper say it out loud and just so casually, Felicity didn’t know how to not feel freaked out about that.

“I could have given you all of this too if you had just given me an opportunity to do so,” Cooper continued calmly. “I can still offer you all of this and so much more. Whatever you want, I will read it in your eyes and give it to you. The flowers and the lingerie were just the start. I have so much more I can offer you.”

Cooper’s voice had started out low and gentle, but it had gotten firm and scratchy by now. A cold shiver ran down the length of Felicity’s spine. She didn’t feel like this conversation was taking a good turn. If Cooper’s voice was any indication, talking about his obsession with her only made the underlying anger about not being with her increase.

When Cooper lowered his eyes to his hands briefly, Felicity shot a look out of the window. There was no one outside it seemed. Calling for help wouldn’t help her at all.

Just when she had pushed Gabriel’s jeans back into place, Felicity heard Cooper getting up from the rocking chair. With slow steps, her neared her. His hands came to rest on her hips before his arms wrapped around her waist. Every muscle in Felicity tensed, and every cell of her body wanted to urge away from him. She didn’t dare to do so though.

“And with both of our intelligence, we can just take over the world.”

Cooper’s voice was soft. He lowered his head a little, pushing his nose against the side of her neck to breathe her in and his lips grazed against her skin. His chest pressed closer to her back until his entire body was close to hers.

Felicity looked down at Gabriel. She knew that because of him, she couldn’t take any too bad risks. With how intrusive Cooper was already, she doubted that she could play along for much longer. Eventually, she’d do something that would make him see that she was about to reject him. If he did and she wasn’t prepared, she’d only be in more danger.

There was no choice to make. She had to be brave and do something. Now.

Sucking in a deep breath and not thinking about it for long, Felicity hauled out and pushed her elbow back into Cooper’s face with as much force as she could use. It was a simple but effective move that John had showed her when he had trained her a little during that hellish year that they had believed Oliver was dead. He had called it trauma management when really it had been more of a self-defense training that had just been supposed to distract Felicity.

Cooper groaned and turned away from Felicity. There was a part of her that wanted to turn around and look, but she knew she didn’t have the time. Cooper would probably catch himself quickly. If he did, she should be as far away from him as possible.

Cradling Gabriel in her arms and holding him against her chest protectively, Felicity ran over to the bedroom. She locked the door behind herself and though she felt like she needed to take a deep breath to get a clear head, she didn’t dare to wait. She hurried over to the window and opened it.

To say that Felicity was afraid of heights was a terrible underestimation. Climbing onto a chair to reach the topmost shelf in the wardrobe already made her feel so dizzy. To escape out of this situation, she might have to overcome her fear of heights though.

Looking out of the window, Felicity checked for any way to get out of there safely. Even if she didn’t have Gabriel with her, Felicity doubted she’d make it out of here alive though. There was no way out other than the door.

Just in that second, a loud noise came from the other side of the door. Gasping for breath, Felicity turned around and held Gabriel, who released low cries, against her chest even more tightly.

“Open up, Felicity!”

Cooper sounded completely crazy now. Felicity didn’t know if a voice could sound crazy, but right now she felt like Cooper’s voice did. He pounded his fist against the door a few more times, and Felicity flinched with every single bang.

“Come on, Felicity, open the door!”

While he continued pounding his fist against the door and kicking against it, Felicity just backed away further and further towards the corner. She knew it was no smart move because there was no way to run away once you had walked into a corner. Her instinct didn’t let her go anywhere else though.

Felicity’s heart was pounding wildly while she was continuing to watch the door. It was already shaking in its angles. It would only be a matter of time for Cooper to break in. The thought made Felicity tremble so heavily that Gabriel started crying out even louder now.

With one more firm kick, the door flew open. Cooper was standing in the frame of the door, looking at her with wild eyes. He was breathing just as heavily as Felicity did. With his hands tightened to fists, anger was written all over his face.

Taking large steps, Cooper walked towards her. Felicity had no idea what to expect. Between being forced to hug or kiss him, being hit and just being killed, she’d trust Cooper to do absolutely everything.

By instinct, Felicity turned away and leaned forward slightly with Gabriel still held safely in her arms. She’d be at Cooper’s mercy now, and all she could do was protecting her baby. It was all she could think about, all she really wanted. No matter what he’d do to her, as long as Gabriel came out of this unharmed, she knew she’d be okay.

When Cooper’s hand wrapped around the back of her neck, his fingers digging into her skin firmly, Felicity hunched her shoulders. He pulled her back like that, forcing her head back as far as possible.

“Look at me.”

His words only made her screw her eyes shut. She didn’t want to look at him. Cooper’s fingers dug even more tightly into her skin though. His fingernails were probably leaving red marks all around her neck.

“Look. At. Me.”

Gabriel’s cries grew even louder, and Felicity didn’t dare to disobey to him one more time. Despite everything, she opened her eyes.

Cooper was looking at her with an indescribable expression on his face. His craze was written all over his face. His obsession and his blindness for reality was so damn visible in his face. Felicity was sure that she wouldn’t be able to predict anything that would happen from now.

“We are going to be together now,” Cooper told her, “whether you want it or not.”

While his right hand stayed wrapped around her neck, the fingers of his left hand brushed against the space between her shoulder blades. From there, they slowly lowered down her back.

Felicity felt tears welling in her eyes. She had never been one to give up easily. She wouldn’t be where she was today if it was any different. Right now, she just had no hope that she could free herself from this. She had no idea what she should do.

Right before Cooper’s hands could lower from the small over her back down to her butt, Cooper was suddenly ripped away from her. Felicity stumbled back a couple of steps as she lost her balance and almost fell to the floor. She was caught by the last second though.

“Lock yourself in Gabriel’s room!”

Oliver half-whispered and half-shouted the words, making sure she was back safe on her feet. Felicity felt a wave of relief almost rushing through her. Before it could really unfold its effect, the adrenaline was already pushing back in as Cooper got back to them.

Just in time, Oliver pushed Felicity out of the way and towards the door. She could feel Cooper’s hands reaching out for her. His fingertips grazed through the tip of her ponytail. It only lasted a moment before he was already ripped away from her again. At least that was what Felicity believed happened from the noises in her back as she didn’t dare to look back and check.

Exactly like Oliver had told her, she ran right over to Gabriel’s nursery and locked herself in there. As soon as the door was locked, her legs that had been shaking the entire time gave in. With her back pressed against the door, she sank down onto the floor, breathing so heavily and yet feeling like she could barely breathe.

She tried to calm Gabriel, who was crying from the top of his lungs now, down. His face was all red and thick tears were rolling down his cheeks. Felicity kissed his temple, rubbing her hand up and down his back and holding him against her gently.

As much as she tried to calm Gabriel down, she doubted that she’d succeed though. Even through the closed door, she could hear the noises coming from her own bedroom where Oliver and Cooper were probably still fighting. She could hear their grunts and their movements and something that she’d probably identify as their punches. She hadn’t thought that you could hear punches, but apparently you could.

There was a loud bang before silence followed. For a long moment, no more sound was to be heard. Everything was quiet. The only sound Felicity could hear was the sound of her heart beating right up into her throat.

A thousand different scenarios flashed through her head. One picture in her head followed the next. There was no time for Felicity to progress any of them. They appeared and disappeared in front of her inner eye too quickly.

When she could hear steps in the corridor, Felicity held her breath. For a brief second, the thought of holding her hand over Gabriel’s lips crossed her mind. As soon as it popped up there, as soon Felicity discarded it again though. Cooper knew exactly where she was anywhere. There was no point in hiding.

The steps came closed until they stopped right in front of the door to Gabriel’s nursery. Onerously, Felicity managed to hold back a sob. She squeezed her eyes shut and almost waited for Cooper to pound his fist against the door once more.

Instead, there was a light knock.

“Felicity?”

Oliver’s soft voice made the sob she had tried to hold back so much fall from her lips after all. Sniffling, she pushed her nose against the crook of Gabriel’s neck, breathing him in.

“Felicity, Honey, it’s me,” Oliver whispered, probably mistaking her silence for something else. “Please, open the door.”

Felicity’s entire body was trembling, and tears were running down her cheeks. The little spark of hope that she was safe now was settling inside of her, but it didn’t spread all through her yet. It didn’t reach the far corners in her brain and in her heart just yet though.

It felt like it took her forever before she managed to get up on her still shaking legs. She had no idea how she managed to keep upright. She did stay on her legs at least long enough to open the door though. After a moment of silence, the door knob turned and the door opened.

Felicity’s breath hitched in her throat when she saw Oliver standing in the door. She looked at him closely. There was a bruise at his right eyebrow, and his bottom lip was split in the middle. The knuckles of his hands were bruised shallowly.

Except from that, Oliver looked like he had gotten out of the fight rather unhurt though.

Sobbing, Felicity threw herself at him. Only one step was necessary for her to reach him. She let her head fall against his shoulder and moved as close to him as possible. Oliver’s strong arms wrapped around her trembling body, holding him as tightly against her as she was still holding Gabriel against her own chest.

Oliver kissed the top of her head over and over again, tightening her arm around him whenever he did. Her hair got tangled in his stubble a little, but Felicity didn’t mind. She loved the feeling of it as it was a feeling, she had grown wonderfully familiar with in the last years.

“I called the police on my way here,” Oliver whispered to her. “It’s all going to be okay.”

Felicity only sobbed harder at the words. For so long, they had believed that everything was going to be okay. Only now that they had definite confirmation of who the stalker was and having probably unconscious in the room next door, they could be really sure that those words were true. Everything was going to be okay.

Still, especially now Felicity had problems accepting this truth. She was still so in shock that the thought of everything being alright eventually seemed incredibly far away. Oliver seemed to sense that. He just whispered the words into her ear over and over again.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, Felicity. It’s all going to be okay.”

 

* * *

 

Oliver could still feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He was still so high on it that his heart was beating against his ribs with force. It also prevented him from feeling the headache he should probably have from the punch Cooper had thrown at him.

After the police had finally arrived at the scene, they had taken Cooper with him. A crew of policemen had perpetuated evidence, while other officers had questioned Oliver and Felicity about what had happened. Oliver had had been taken to an ambulance to check him through and only because he had seen in Felicity’s face that it had been important to her, he had eventually agreed to it.

Standing in the frame towards the bedroom that was completely destroyed from the fight now, Oliver just realized what a bad ending this could have taken. Cooper had been so deep into his craziness and his obsession, he might have killed him. Oliver had seen an unpredictable wildness in his eyes.

If it hadn’t been for his thorough training with John, maybe this would have ended badly.

A cold shiver ran down Oliver’s back once more. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, sucking in a deep breath. He clenched and unclenched his hand a couple of times, feeling the soreness of his knuckles from punching Cooper over and over again until he had passed out.

For a brief moment, Oliver remembered that thought that had crossed his mind when Cooper had been lying there unconscious. It had just been a split second, but during that second it would have been so easy to just punch him a few times more until Oliver could be sure that he would never wake up again. Oliver had never felt an anger like that before, but he just hadn’t been able to help himself.

Cooper had scared him and Felicity. He had threatened them. He had threatened their kids. It might have been a lot less than other victims of stalking had had to endure, but it had been bad enough for him.

Oliver shook his head quickly. He knew that he had to get that thought out of his head as soon as possible. Otherwise, he’d probably go insane.

“What did the paramedics say?”

Oliver turned his head back to Quentin briefly just when he was stepping behind him and taking a look into the bedroom.

“I’m fine.”

“Good,” Quentin just said briefly and nodded his head. “My team is just packing their stuff. We have your statements, but you will have to come to the precinct in the next days anyway. We can talk about that later though. For now, you should all rest.”

Oliver nodded his head slowly. Mae was going to spend the nights at Tommy’s and Laurel’s, and Donna had just picked up Gabriel. Felicity hadn’t been particularly fond of the idea of having the kids stay away for a night, but Oliver had convinced her that it was better that way. They had to recover themselves first before they could help the kids. Mae and Gabriel were better off with their friends and family for the night, so they wouldn’t see any of this chaos here.

“Where is Felicity?”

“She was outside in the garden when I last saw her.”

“I will go to see her.”

Quentin didn’t say anything more. He just nodded his head and stepped aside to let Oliver pass. He walked downstairs quickly, ignoring the bunch of cops that were running around in the house.

The moment Oliver turned towards the terrace doors, he could already see Felicity. She was sitting on one of the swings in the garden, her head lowered to her hands in her lap. The swing was only moving slightly. Oliver could almost feel her sadness and her shock in his bones like they were his own.

Oliver felt his heart breaking for Felicity. He had been so scared for her already that her own fear must have been unimaginable.

Taking in a deep breath, Oliver walked outside. He let the door fall shut a little harder than necessary. Just like he had hoped, Felicity lifted her head at the sound and looked in his direction. She was smiling softly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. It just made her look even more exhausted.

Oliver didn’t say a word. He just sat down on the other swing and started seesawing slightly. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Felicity leaning her head against the rope of her swing and watching him.

“What’s happening now?”

Felicity’s voice was low, so low that Oliver could barely hear her. He did hear her though and he didn’t even need her to specify what she mean to know it anyway.

“Cooper will be examined by a psychiatrist to check whether or not a mental disease is to be blamed for his crimes,” Oliver said and shook his head. “God, I hope it turns out that he is not just crazy because I want him to rot in prison rather than tinkering necklaces with macaroni.”

Anger was no word for what he felt when he was just thinking about Cooper now. After everything he had done and the long time, he had tried to scare them, Oliver wanted Cooper to suffer from that. Hopefully, a man that was threatening children wasn’t being treated well in prison.

“Honestly, that man deserves so much more than just a few years in prison. If it was up to me, he would-“

“Don’t,” Felicity interrupted him quickly but with soft voice. She moved close to him, taking his hand and lacing her fingers with his. “Don’t let him get into your head and into your heart like that. You will never get him out otherwise, and he doesn’t deserve that.”

Oliver looked at her. Despite her exhaustion, there was a calmness in her eyes that only Felicity could transfer right to him. It was like her eyes reached right into his heart. It didn’t take the rage and the hate he felt for Cooper away, but it calmed it down enough so he didn’t feel consumed by it.

In the years Oliver had known her, he couldn’t count how often he had been amazed by her. Whenever he had believed that there was nothing left that could still amaze him about her, she just managed to take his breath away again. Right now as she was proving how strong she was once more, Oliver couldn’t help but feel amazed by her all over again.

He tightened his fingers around her hand and lifted it to his lips. Never taking his eyes off her, he kissed the back of her hand firmly.

“How are you doing?”

He could see in Felicity’s eyes that something inside of her told her to look away. No matter how strong that urge might be, she didn’t look away though. She kept her eyes on him, holding his gaze.

“I don’t know,” she whispered eventually, shrugging her shoulders. “I think I am still in shock.”

Oliver nodded his head slowly.

When he had unlocked the door of the house and stepped inside, he had heard Cooper’s voice upstairs even though he hadn’t recognized it as he had never met Cooper before. He had ran upstairs and ripped Cooper away from Felicity before he had been able to hurt her like he had probably planned to do in that moment.

The image his eyes had met the moment he had stepped into the bedroom would forever be burnt into his mind. Felicity had held Gabriel clutched to her chest, shielding him with her body, so no harm could come to him. She would have taken everything as long as Gabriel was safe.

“I never felt safe with Cooper, you know?” Felicity asked eventually. “I mean I didn’t think he was dangerous, but I never trusted him in the way that I trusted you. I don’t know how to describe it, but I never felt the way that I feel whenever I am with you. It’s why I couldn’t sleep with him. I should have known it was him sooner. There was always-“

“You couldn’t know, Felicity,” Oliver interrupted her gently, shaking his head. “Cooper hasn’t been a part of your life you’re a very long time. You couldn’t know.”

“I have met him when the stalker was around the first time,” Felicity said. “It’s been weird in a lot of ways, and I got a strange feeling, but it was nothing but a strange feeling, so I forgot about it and-“

“Hey,” Oliver interrupted her once more. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over now.”

Felicity didn’t look exactly convinced, but she dropped the topic nonetheless. With a nod of her head, she released a long sigh and closed her eyes. She held her face into the cool breeze while Oliver just watched her. She was as beautiful as always.

When Felicity opened her eyes again, they found his immediately.

“It really is over now, right?”

Oliver nodded his head, squeezing her hand once more. He tugged at her fingers until Felicity got up and sat down on his lap. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and rested her other hand on his chest. Oliver put his arms around her waist and leaned her head back until he could look at her.

“It really is over now,” he whispered to her. “I promise you.”

Felicity looked at him for a long moment like she needed to make sure that he really was saying the truth. Only when she didn’t find any doubt there, she nodded her head. With a sigh, she rested her forehead against his and spread her fingers over his heart.

“Good,” she whispered.

“Yeah.” Oliver tightened his arms around her. “Good.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Do you remember when we first saw the catshark, Mae?”

Oliver stroked his hand through Mae’s hair until she angled her head back. She smiled at him widely and took a step back, so she could lean against him and tug his hand over her shoulder to her chest. She held it between both of her hands, resting it against her heart.

“Of course I remember,” she replied. “You haven’t been back from the island for long. I wasn’t used to having you back, but you were watching me without mommy. I cried until you took me here and we bonded while we were seeing the animals.”

Felicity smiled, leaning even more into Oliver’s side and rubbing her hand over his heart. His eyes stayed locked onto Mae, watching her as she watched the shark in the aquarium, but he rested his cheek against the top of her head and released a low sigh.

When Mae rested her head back, smiling at Oliver even more widely now with a sparkle in her eyes that Felicity hadn’t seen there in a long time it seemed, she felt some of the tension that was still seated deep in her bones fading away.

“Right, daddy?”

Felicity didn’t have to see Oliver’s face to know he was smiling. She could feel it, and it made her smile too.

“Right.”

Of course Mae couldn’t remember any of that night or the weeks before when Oliver had tried to reconnect with her, but she had only seen a stranger in him. She hadn’t even been two years old yet, so she wasn’t able to remember. For Oliver and Felicity, who remembered that night in all details, the memory had been so important that they had told Mae about it again and again.

Oliver’s year after being shipwrecked and everything his family in Starling had been forced to go through in the meantime was not something a child could understand in all depth. That year had been such an important time in all of their lives that they had told Mae about it step by step. Neither of them should ever forget it.

“Has Gabriel ever been to the Aquarium?” Mae asked after a moment, resting her head back once more. “I can’t remember.”

“I think he was still a little baby,” Oliver said. “I mean he was such a tiny baby that all he did all day was sleeping, crying and eating.”

“And pooping,” Mae added.

Oliver chuckled. “And pooping.”

Mae let go of Oliver’s hand and kneeled down next to Gabriel’s baby buggy. The little boy stopped sucking at the leg of his crocodile and looked at his little sister. He released a squeal and wiggled with his arms until Mae held his hand.

“You know, Gabriel, the aquarium is very important to our family,” she said. “Mommy and daddy always met here when they were keeping their love for another a secret. When I was born, they always took me here. Now all of us are taking you here.”

Gabriel squealed once more. It was almost like he had understood exactly what Mae had told him because he was lifting his crocodile as well as Mae’s octopus. Mae took them both. She clutched her octopus to her chest and moved the crocodile against Gabriel’s cheek until he grabbed it and clutched it to his chest the Mae did with her toy. Smiling, he snuggled his face into the plush.

When Felicity tensed slightly, Oliver tightened his arm around her. She was sure that he knew exactly what she was thinking as the sight of Gabriel holding the crocodile to him so tightly still didn’t please Felicity.

After the first shock of what had happened with Cooper had passed and the family had tried to settle back into normality, the sound of the lullaby inside the crocodile had pulled Felicity back into the horror every time. She had actually taken the crocodile from Gabriel, intending to trash it because she wanted it far away from her and her family. Gabriel wasn’t able to sleep without it though and Mae would have been heartbroken since she had been the one to buy it for her baby brother.

The toy reminded her of the night Cooper had snuck into their home and basically threatened them to take Gabriel away from them. She knew that she had to get over it eventually. The toy was a reminder, but so were so many other things in their life. She couldn’t give Cooper the power to haunt her even now that he was locked away.

“Shall we talk?” Oliver whispered against the crown of Felicity’s hair and kissed it.

Felicity rested her head back for a moment, looking at Oliver. They had promised each other to use the day not only to gather some new family memories full of happiness but also to take some time and talk to each other.

“Hey, Mae, will you take care of your baby brother while mommy and I will be sitting down over there to talk a little?”

“Sure.”

With a proud smile, Mae got behind the baby buggy and pushed it towards the next aquarium. She didn’t mind her parents’ absence at all it seemed. Felicity didn’t mind though. She loved seeing their daughter so responsible with Gabriel.

Oliver led her one of the benches where they sat down. From here, they could keep a good eye on Mae and Gabriel, but they were far enough away from them to talk freely.

“So,” Oliver started after a moment, his voice lowered to a soft whisper, “how did therapy go?”

Felicity released a deep sigh. “Don’t ask.”

Oliver chuckled slightly and took one of her hands to hold it between both of hers. His thumb moved over her engagement ring and wedding band. The feeling made the corners of Felicity’s lips twitch slightly.

“Too late,” Oliver replied. He reached out a hand and tugged some strands of her hair back behind her ear. “That bad?”

Felicity shot Oliver a brief glance. She could see the worry in his eyes, and it made her look away quickly.

As much as they were trying to move on, she knew that they needed healing. To heal they needed to process what had happened. Quentin had recommended a therapist to them, and Felicity had gone there a couple of times now. She couldn’t say that she was feeling well yet, but she hoped for things to get better.

“We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”

Oliver’s voice continued to be gentle. As much as he wanted and probably needed to know whether or not therapy was helping her, he didn’t want to push her past her comfort zone. He knew how hard it was to talk about how she felt after what had happened because, just like she was traumatized by this, he had been traumatized when the Gambit had sunken, his father had killed himself and he had been living on a deserted island for a year.

“You won’t like to hear what I think.”

There was a moment of silence before Oliver sighed and squeezed her hand. Felicity looked at him, feeling tears welling in her eyes already. When a single one fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek, Oliver wiped it away with the gentle touch of his fingertips.

“You want to go and see Cooper?”

Felicity knew that he hadn’t liked when she had wanted to go see Adrian Chase. With Cooper, after what had happened the last time they had been close, the idea probably bothered him even more. Felicity understood that, but she also felt like she really needed that.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I need to see him.”

“But why?” Oliver asked. “Why do you need to see him?”

Felicity could see in his eyes that Oliver was struggling. He really wanted to understand her because he loved her and he wanted to support her. It was just that he really didn’t understand why she would need to see the man who had stalked her, threatened all of them and was still haunting her in his nightmares.

When Adrian had been arrested because they had thought that he was the stalker, she had argued that she needed closure. She had felt threatened by Adrian one moment and he had already been arrested the next. This time, with the big showdown between her and Cooper before Oliver had showed up and saved her, it was different. She had kind of gotten the closure. She understood that Cooper had been the one who had stalked her all the time. There was no doubt and no lack of understanding.

Still, she needed to see him one last time.

“I just need to see that he is really safely locked away there. I need to see that we are safe from him,” Felicity said. “Maybe I also need to figure out if he is really crazy or if he is just… an asshole.”

“Maybe he is both.”

Felicity smiled briefly, looking at Oliver’s face. He was still looking at her. His face was calm, but Felicity could see the anger in his eyes. As much as he tried to be strong for her, so Felicity could show her feelings and try to process them, he was just as affected by what had happened as Felicity was.

“I know you don’t understand why I need to-“

“It doesn’t matter,” Oliver interrupted her immediately. His voice was soft and firm at the same time. “It doesn’t matter whether I not understand this. If you need this, I will support you in every way that I can. I just need to know that you really are ready for that. Meeting Cooper will be difficult.”

Felicity knew Oliver was right. The thought of confronting Cooper actually made her stomach twist and her body tremble slightly. She was nervous and worried and a thousand different things when she just thought about meeting Cooper again. She knew it was right though.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Felicity said, “and the longer I will wait, the more scared I will be about that.”

Oliver nodded his head and squeezed her hand. The expression in his eyes was reassuring. It offered comfort and the promise that she could lean on him at the same time.

“If there is anything, I can do for you, please just tell me. I will do anything to help you.”

Felicity smiled, holding onto his hands. “I think it would help if you could come with me. I want to talk to Cooper alone, but you could maybe wait outside. In case I will break down-“

“-I will be there to catch you.”

Felicity smiled gratefully. She released a breath she hadn’t known she had been holding and felt some of the tension inside of her fading away. Being open with Oliver and having his full support just made things so much easier for her.

Smiling quietly, Oliver leaned over. He put a hand to her cheek, letting her lean her face into his touch, and brushed his lips against hers in a chaste and gentle kiss.

Once they broke the kiss, they rested their forehead against each other. She frowned, thinking about how to address the other thing that was on her mind and that she knew she had to talk to with Oliver rather sooner than later. It felt like it was even harder than the last thing though.

“I can feel your frown against my forehead,” Oliver whispered, and Felicity could hear him smile although her eyes were closed. “What’s wrong?”

Felicity took in a deep breath and leaned back a little, so she could look into Oliver’s face. He looked at her openly, waiting for her to say whatever she wanted and needed. She knew he’d do anything to make her feel better. His love for her was unconditional and it knew no end.

“Actually, there is something I have to ask you,” Oliver said before Felicity could say anything. “When Adrian was falsely arrested for stalking you, you told me that you weren’t feeling safe in our home anymore. Is that still the case? Because I am feeling the same way now. I know I was hesitating to move out of our house back then, but I do get the feeling that maybe we need a new start now. So, what do you say?”

It took Felicity a moment to process her words, but it made her smile eventually. She didn’t know if Oliver really meant it or if he just wanted to make things easier for her. Oliver had certainly known what she had wanted to say, and he had found a way to make it easier for her to ask him for what she needed. He was a great man like that.

“That’s exactly what I was about to ask you.”

Oliver smiled, and the expression that glinted in his eyes at the same time gave him away. “Looks like we think the same.”

“Yes,” Felicity whispered, nodding slowly. “Looks like we think the same.”

For a long moment, neither of them moved or said a word. They just looked at each other, enjoying the quiet around and as well as the honesty between them. Now that their thoughts and wishes were said out loud to each other, Felicity knew they had made an important step. They had processed what had happened to them individually and were ready to process it together now.

Eventually, Oliver framed her face with his hands. His thumbs robbed over her cheekbones and his pinkies grazed against the line of her jaw. The expression of his eyes was full of understanding and love. Felicity knew that would never change.

They both leaned in slowly until their lips met in a gentle kiss. It was as gentle and as chaste as the last one, but it held even more love and even more hope for a better future to come.

When their lips parted eventually, they both glanced into the direction of Mae and Gabriel. Felicity doubted that would change anytime soon. For the next weeks or even months they would be particularly careful to make sure their kids were safe.

“Maybe our life will finally be easier now,” Oliver said with a sigh.

Felicity shot him a brief glance. “Better knock on wood.”

Oliver lifted his head and knocked against his temple, making her chuckle. Even in the heaviest moments, Oliver always managed to make her smile. It was one of the many reasons she loved him so damn much.

When his fingers laced through hers, she lifted her eyes to him once more. He squeezed her hand like he wanted to attract her attention nonetheless. Felicity perked up her eyebrows slightly, wordlessly prompting him to speak.

“We are together,” Oliver whispered, “and we have two wonderful children. Nothing will ever change that.”

Felicity looked towards where Mae was showing Gabriel the octopus once more and almost felt the happiness rushing through her veins. Just seeing the two of them interact and knowing they were both part of her life just like Oliver was really made her happy. Her family was exactly what she needed.

“I am really glad you were here with me through all of this.” Felicity held onto Oliver’s arms, using him as an anchor to not drift away into the dark cloud that always threatened to pull her in when she thought back to the last months. “I don’t think I would have been able to stand through this without you.”

“You would have,” Oliver said firmly and kissed her temple. “I am glad I got to be here for you though.”

Smiling softly, Felicity angled her head back and looked at Oliver with eyes full of love and adoration. She loved that man with everything inside of her. She loved him more than any human being should probably love another human being.

“What?” Oliver asked with an amused smile. He lifted his hand and tipped his forefinger against her forehead. “What is going on up here?”

Felicity lifted her gaze, squinting at where his forefinger moved over her frown now. She was sure that the amusement she saw in Oliver’s eyes was mirrored in her own when she looked back at him.

“I just remembered how we handled having problems before.”

“You mean running away from each other and trying to handle it on our own instead of together?”

Felicity scrunched up her nose. “Yeah.”

Oliver nodded slightly. “Hard to forget.”

“Indeed.” Felicity sighed. “But we have made it past that, right? I mean we are dealing with problems together now. We are leaning on each other instead of hiding from each other. Right?”

Oliver smiled at her warmly. “Right.”

Felicity felt relief rushing through her veins like only through Oliver’s confirmation it was really true. Only the fact that they were both feeling it really proved that they had moved past that. They had grown up and they had grown together.

Oliver framed her face with his hands once more and leaned in for a tender kiss. It was sealing the promise they had made to each other all those years ago when they had decided to have their baby, the promise of doing it all together.

“Mom! Dad!”

At the sound of Mae’s voice, Oliver and Felicity broke their kiss. Still holding onto each other, they turned into the direction of the kids. Mae was still pushing Gabriel’s baby buggy in front of her. She was standing in the door to the next room.

“We want to see the crocodiles. Can we go?”

Oliver and Felicity exchanged a brief glance. Their eyes locked for less than two seconds, but it was all they needed to know that they were thinking the same. It was time to move on.

“Wait,” Felicity replied. “We’re coming.”

When they got up from the bench, their fingers laced together automatically. Felicity leaned into Oliver’s side, seeking his closeness, and Oliver’s lips brushed a gentle kiss into her hair. Hand in hand, they walked towards their kids to see the rest of the aquarium and start into the rest of their lives. Together.


End file.
